Stacy Mitchell, a senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, was invited to deliver this speech by the New Economics Foundation (nef). A widely recognized expert on the impact of mega-retailers and the benefits of locally owned businesses, she has worked with communities across the country to implement policies and strategies that limit superstore expansion and rebuild local economies. Her book The Hometown Advantage: How to Defend Your Main Street Against Chain Stores and Why It Matters, has provided essential guidance to grassroots groups and elected officials fighting on the front lines to save their towns from Wal-Mart and other big retailers. Just as the rise of big retail is more developed in the US, there is much to be learned from the myriad of responses already implemented in the US.