Battle-Mart Battle Plan

Within the rest of the site are reports, studies, experts, current "site fights" and a variety of resources - all for you to use in your own efforts. And if you don't find what you need, or ever have a question, just ask. Understanding what else you need to know will help make this site more useful to everyone.

Below you'll find an overview of some steps you can take to stop a Wal-Mart from coming to your town or prevent the one you already have from expanding or re-locating. Also make sure to check out the "Principles of Battle-Mart" for a larger understanding of successful strategies.

Battle-Mart Primer 

BATTLEMART 101

Download the Battle-Mart primer, our printable guide to fighting Wal-Mart in your community. In it you'll find tactics and strategies to stop Wal-Mart from coming to or expanding in your community, as well as advice from past site fighters and SprawlBusters founder Al Norman.(PDF) >>


To learn more about waging your own site fight, also use the following documents:

How to Fight Wal-Mart:

1. Form A Citizens Group

It takes a village to beat a Wal-Mart, you need a committee to motivate the village.

If there is no existing neighborhood association or other civic group, form your own. You don't need to incorporate. Try to create an "all walks of life" group that draws from civic, religious, education, neighbors, age-range, etc. Give it a short, upbeat name like "Freeport First."

2. Hire the Experts

Wal-Mart will bring all of their hired guns - and you will need your own to fight back. A land use (zoning) lawyer, a traffic engineer, a hydrologist or geologist: all these can be invaluable assets to building a well-founded and credible case against Wal-Mart, both in the court of law and in the court of public opinion.

3. A Zoning Lawyer Is Key

A Wal-Mart application is a zoning case, and zoning cases are quasi-judicial hearings. A lawyer to help you find the best legal angles in your town's Comprehensive Plan and/or Zoning Code. A lawyer also shows you are serious and ready to go to court if necessary to stop this project.

Why Experts? During a zoning hearing, you need to introduce into the record important expert testimony, so don't wait to reach out for help - get experts involved early creating studies that highlight important issues like Wal-Mart's impact on property values, impact on traffic and impact on taxes & the local economy.

4. Raise Money

Set up a Funding Committee that focuses ONLY on raising money. Have it be a trust fund your attorney handles for privacy purposes.

Approach local merchants and small business owners; given Wal-Mart's decimating impact on local economies, it's their interest to stop the corporate giant and they will often be a valuable source of support.

Start off with a moderate goal - $15,000, for example - and approach homeowners, businesses, unions and others, asking them to become a partner for $500--and find 30 partners. Understand that some of your contributors may wish to remain anonymous and make sure you can ensure privacy.

5. Create Fact Sheet/Website

Write a one-page fact sheet about the project you are fighting, and why you are against it. Try to make this as simple and engaging as possible. Remember, not everone is as interested in this issue as you are ... yet!

Create a website that includes an on-line petition to sign against the project and collect email addresses of supporters so you can contact as the situation develops.

6. Be Constantly Visible in the Media

Respond to anything Wal-Mart says. Invite Wal-Mart's CEO to visit your town to see why their project is wrong. Get in the news as often as you can

7. Present An Alternative

It's can be easy to say "no" to something, but quite often the real challenge lies in identifying an alternative plan that the community can rally behind. What else could this land be used for? Are there other potential buyers or users? Try to present the alternatives in the most attractive light as possible - it only makes a Wal-Mart look less desirable.

8. Lobby Local Officials

The whole fight comes down to winning a majority vote on your Planning Board of City Council. Who are these decision-makers? Do you know them? If you don't who does?

Try to get individual meetings and discuss their views and the views of the rest of the board. Use this site and other resourses to identify the issues you think apply to your community (impact on local economy and property values, public safety concerns, environmental, etc.). Local political organizers can also provide valuable insight into effective techniques and approaches for different decision-makers.

For More Information

To learn more about waging your own site fight, also use the following documents: