"Local officials often fall for the seductions and political appeal of luring new national chains...but they often fail to consider the greater losses that occur when the local business base is undermined."

In the smallest towns, bustling cities, and everything in between, more citizens lament losing a sense of community and local character. Meanwhile, national chains continue displacing locally-owned businesses countrywide. This trend is considered symptomatic of our loss of community orientation, but could it also be a primary cause?

And what are the economic costs to our communities as absentee-owned chains displace locally-owned businesses?  Of course, we usually choose to do business where we perceive the best value for our time and money. But in an age where we’re bombarded with thousands of corporate advertisements daily, perceptions may differ widely from reality.  It's as easy to accept themes promoted in those corporate ads as it is to overlook the values independent businesses provide us, both personally and in our communities.

Read the whole article here...