A&P, Wal-Mart, And The American Consumer Identity

Sixty years ago, chains like A&P and Woolworth transformed American citizens into consumers. Shedding this consumer identity is key to turning back the big-box tide, says Stacy Mitchell, the author of a recent book on mega-retailers.

1 minute read

December 13, 2006, 12:00 PM PST

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera

This excerpt from the new book Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses details the widespread backlash against the first generation of chain retailers in the 1920s-1940s. Opposition was so strong as to call into question the chains' continued existence. They recovered, however, by launching a massive PR campaign that convinced Americans to conceive of themselves primarily as consumers-not as workers, producers, small business owners, or even citizens. Today this consumer identity is pervasive and is commonly used by Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers to neutralize opposition and propel their expansion.

Thanks to Stacy Mitchell

FULL STORY: Big Box Swindle: The Fight to Reclaim America from Retail Giants

Thursday, December 7, 2006 in AlterNet

Community / Economic Development United States

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