Back to Mobile View

MomAndPopShops

It began quietly, as an email to 40 friends. But when a steady stream of customers began coming through the door before the family-owned Chagrin Hardware had even opened for the day on Saturday, it was clear that it had turned into much more than that. Hundreds of supporters of the family-owned business flocked to the store all day long, spending money in a veritable "Cash Mob."
Occupy protesters want shoppers to occupy something besides door-buster sales and crowded mall parking lots on Black Friday. Some don't want people to shop at all. Others just want to divert shoppers from big chains and giant shopping malls to local mom-and-pops. And while the actions don't appear coordinated, they have similar themes: supporting small businesses while criticizing the day's dedication to conspicuous consumption and the shopping frenzy that fuels big corporations.
You may already be familiar with many of the independent retailers in your home town, but how do you find mom-and-pop shops when you're traveling? The 3/50 Project's new iPhone app might help. It links users to its directory of small businesses, so visitors can support the local economy.
The ramp up to Black Friday has been more energetic this year than any I can remember. There's a near insatiable thirst for discounts and door busters and retailers are more than willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy that thirst. I've been covering national big box retailers for nearly 15...

Market Movers

SymbolLastChange / %Volume

Most Actives

BAC
Bank of America Corp
8.07-0.11
-1.34%
254.23M
ALU
Alcatel-Lucent (ADR)
2.19+0.25
+12.89%
122.18M
GE
General Electric Company
18.88-0.26
-1.33%
109.55M
F
Ford
12.44-0.25
-1.97%
52.49M

% Gainers

CIE
Cobalt International Energy
31.68 +7.78
+32.55%
18.42M
LNKD
LinkedIn Corp.
89.96 +13.57
+17.76%
13.27M
ALU
Alcatel-Lucent (ADR)
2.19 +0.25
+12.89%
122.18M
WNS
WNS (Holdings) Limited (ADR)
10.50 +1.10
+11.70%
3.07M

% Losers

NBG-A
National Bank of Greece SA (ADR)
5.72-1.03
-15.26%
188,505
OSG
Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc.
10.18-1.65
-13.95%
1.88M
AB
AllianceBernstein Holding LP
14.35-2.16
-13.08%
1.30M
OC-B
Owens Corning (Warrant) 'B'
2.31-0.34
-12.83%
26,436
Newswire

Follow Us

Headlines From DailyFinance Partners

CNN Money
CNBC
Smart Money
Consumer Reports
Huffington Post
AOL Energy
AOL Jobs
Business News Personal Finance Investing Our Partners

DailyFinance Sitemap | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Trademarks | HELP | Advertise With Us

© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved