Where should we be shopping to support liberal stores?

[kimchi]

No to Sam's Club and Walmart and Safeway for their support of the GOP.

Are there any liberal grocery chains-at all? To be honest, I really like Costco for some things; I'm a stock-up kinda gal. I absolutely adore Trader Joes and other "natural" food stores, but lets be honest--the prices are outrageous. We'd go broke if we did all our shopping there.

A little help here? Food Lion? Shopper's Food Warehouse? And, if you have other non-food stores that actively encourage liberalism I'd appreciate that too.

[DoctorMyEyes]

1. I shop at Acme

just because I don't have a whole lot to choose from and they are unionized.

(oh, and the organic free range chicken eggs, too!)

[truthseeker1]

2. Whole Foods

and like you said, Trader Joe's - I've done a lot of price comparisons and found a lot of things to be cheaper at these two stores than the big grocery stores.

[IrateCitizen]

3. Whole Foods in notoriously anti-union

Instead of focusing on "liberal" companies, why don't we use our heads and focus on union companies or buy food through community supported agriculture projects?

[truthseeker1]

4. Their employees are paid well

and they're a small company....so maybe they don't really need a union?

[catzies]

5. That's what my asshole boss said about starting a 401k...

"I pay you people well enough; go pay for your own retirements. I'll be dead then anyway." :eyes:

[IrateCitizen]

7. Small company??? They're a corporation operating in several states!

If they're so worker-friendly, then why are they resisting calls by workers in many locations to organize? Why then has the UFCW been picketing the one in NYC not far from my job for over a year now?

[truthseeker1]

11. Don't know.

The ones in LA don't seem to have a problem.

[lostnfound]

75. Whole Foods has been very hostile to people speaking up..

about their animal products, according to a local radio program on Pacifica.

IMHO, it's okay to have differing opinions about animal cruelty issues in food production, but it's not okay to throw somebody out of your store just for asking questions.

Here's the story, for any who might care:

Janice Blue, local activist and host of Go Vegan Texas!, was recently treated unjustly by Whole Foods management when she spoke up about buffalo franks. She noticed the buffalo on her way in the store to do some shopping, as it was being sampled near the front doors. “Is that buffalo?” she asked, and to her dismay she was told that it was. She then began to express that buffalo are our nation’s heritage and we should let the buffalo roam. Management was called over immediately, and Janice was told by the store’s manager that she must leave that instant and she is no longer welcome at Whole Foods. “But I haven’t finished my shopping,” Janice stammered. “We don’t want your kind here,” was Whole Foods’ reply.

We must NOT stand for this treatment of animal rights activists. Janice was not soliciting, nor was she making a scene. Whole Foods is demonstrating their corporate power to control our first amendment right of free speech. Corporations do NOT have this power, nor do they have this right. Use YOUR first amendment right and call or write to Whole Foods expressing your disgust and insult at their behaviour.

Whole Foods
2955 Kirby @ Alabama, 77098
(713-520-1937)

Whole Foods
4004 Bellaire Blvd., 77025
(713-667-4090)

John Mackey, CEO/Founder
Whole Foods
601 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 300
Austin, TX 78703
512/477-4455

Whole Foods claims to be a compassionate store, but they are the least responsive to our cause. Whole Foods continues to sell factory farmed Grimaud ducks, refuses to donate for animal friendly events such as “meat out day“, and harasses animal rights activists for having a voice.

[kimchi]

12. Great idea; thanks for the reminder.

Safeway IS union, I believe. So then is it a wash?

Admittedly I'm not into agriculture; kill most of my own garden every year. I do support farmer's markets and roadside stands and I have info for a local coop,but you can't buy your toilet paper there.

I think you are right, I'm looking at this the wrong way. I've been conditioned to buy things in stores. And, I'm not the most industrious person in the world. But, I could buy my cleaning supplies and paper from Real Goods, my produce in town, make my own baby food, mail order my cheese, buy a freezer and go to the butcher shop twice a year, etc. etc. which would be ideal.

(And, I'm working on several of these issue now, a lot more than most people who don't give it a second thought). But in the meantime, (before I build my earthship with gardens and cows in the commune on the reclaimed quarry while running a Pagan kindergarden), I need to shop somewhere, relatively cheap and close.

So which are union? And can we shop at an anti-union store if the food sold supports organic farmers? Many more questions.

[IrateCitizen]

20. OK, here's where I'm going with this...

I've been becoming increasingly interested in the "living simplicity" movement. Essentially, it's a movement that is built around the idea of buying only what you need, and trying to buy it from sources that help further the ideals of the world you want to live in. Food is an excellent example.

If you can learn to do things like make your own cheese, jelly and jam, etc. -- great! It can even end up being a fun family activity to do once in a while. But if you're not willing to go that far, then that's fine too. It's all about whatever you're comfortable with.

Community supported agriculture is obviously one of the best ways to live this ideal, next to growing all your own food (which my family came pretty darned close to in a lot of ways growing up). But we all know that it can be difficult to do this, especially cold turkey. I guess what I'm saying is that I share your innate self-deficiencies. ;-)

The best way to find out if your store is union, I guess, is to ask the employees. Several in my local A&P are always wearing a union button or something. Or the local UFCW could probably tell you.

With the case of organic stores, usually they are locally-owned, individual markets -- and therefore unlikely to be unionized. But it shouldn't stop you from shopping there, because the very fact that it is a locally-owned store and in most cases they treat their employees pretty well (because the owner depends so much on the employees).

[spooky3]

61. Kroger's is unionized.

[1songbird]

81. I don't think you want to

put this company on the list. Their headquaters is here in Cincy and they don't advertise with the local liberal radio outlets purposefully.

[msanger]

6. For books, music and DVDs

There were two stores in particular that stood up to the freepers when they started e-bombing the merchants listed on

Arkivmusic.com is a classical music store, and Alibris.com is a very good book store that also sells DVDs and stuff like that.

You can like to them from "the store" part of the STDB site, which will help raise money to de-select the resident, or just buy from them direct, if you don't want to support my site.

But if you go to them, say you are doing it in part because they supported the shop to drop bush site. THey don't really "support" the site, but they were willing to maintain a relationship with us, in the face of an intensive freeper email campaign.

[truthseeker1]

9. Links don't work

I tried 3 or 4 of your links (including Alibris) and they don't work.

[msanger]

15. thanks for letting me know.

I just tried all three Albris links on "The Store" page, and they all worked. They were a little slow, because what happens is that the link has to go through the "affiliate clearinghouse" site before going to Albris.

I had some trouble getting the links to work when I first started and one of the following fixed it:

Please check the following 3 items:

1) Please make sure your browser is set to accept third party banners.

2) Please make sure the following 6 servers are being allowed into your firewall: qksrv.net, qkimg.net, qksz.net, cj.com, commissionjunction.com, commission-junction.com.

3) If you have KazaaLite, Morpheus, or BearShare installed on your computer, there is an opt-in functionality that blocks affiliate links (CJ , included) from coming through on your computer.

I hope this helps. If you manage to get them working, please let me know what you did.

Michael

[kimchi]

16. why wouldn't I want to support your site and other similar orgs like DU?

It is a wonderful idea, and major kudos for doing something constructive. And any little bit of support, implicit or explicit, is helpful in getting rid of the BFEE.

[Woodstock]

84. Alibris is great

I highly recommend them.

[PVnRT]

8. Your best chance

is to go to union shops. Kroger's is UFCW, all union, for your groceries.

As for music and such, I have no idea. Maybe independant-run stores in your area might do the trick.

[kimchi]

25. Thanks! Funny name ya got there! n/t

[DBoon]

10. Find or start a co-op

See:

http://www.ncba.coop/food.cfm#usfood

[noonwitch]

13. Marshall Fields & Target

The parent company supports Planned Parenthood. At least, an aquaintance of mine has a freeper-type wife who is boycotting them for that reason.
Borders is run by liberals, but then again, your local book store likely is, also. Borders was once a local bookstore in Detroit/AA before they expanded in the 90s.
Whether Bill Gates is a liberal or conservative, he has been generous with his money to many needy people. He gave the Detroit Public Schools a ton of free computers a few years ago. The former governor (John Engler) told him not to, that the school district didn't deserve any help. Gates gave it anyways. He may be a very strange man, but he is generous (like all of us would be if we were that rich).
As far as grocery chains go, I don't shop at chain stores. I shop at my local store because it is clean, it carries the products I want, and they pay their employees well and give them benefits. They also have a scholarship program for their teen employees and they hire developmentally disabled people as their baggers. It's called the Holiday Market in Royal Oak, MI, if any Detroit area posters want to shop there. I don't think that they are conservatives-they sell french wine. I'm looking forward to the 2003 Beaujalais in a couple of weeks.

[truthseeker1]

23. Another reason uptight types are boycotting MF and Target

They're both selling a new fragrance targeted at teens called FCUK - http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/fcuk.asp

Yeah, it's pretty raunchy, but I think it's kinda funny!

By the way, I really got a chuckle out of your "I'm looking forward to the 2003 Beaujalais" comment :toast:

[AP]

27. I'd definitely go to Target over WalMart.

[msanger]

73. target is on shoptodropbush

Somebody suggested we add it to our list, so we have.

[emulatorloo]

43. An interesting article about Gates' charity re India in Linux Journal

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=6452

A short and interesting read

"That Gates' approach is clearly linked to the growing GNU/Linux campaigns in India is more than clear. Rajesh Mahapatra, writing for the Associated Press, commented, "Hoping to stave off a rise in the popularity of free, open-source software, Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates has announced a $400-million-US investment in India." He went on to say, "The three-year initiative--part philanthropy, part business boost--seeks to entrench products of the world's dominant software company in schools and among India's multitude of talented programmers."

I don't think he is a progressive. . .

[ElsewheresDaughter]

45. bill gates father is a staunch Democrat...and i believe bill is a liberal

[0007]

60. I think Bill Gates father is great

Not too crazy over Mircosoft Bill.

[leesa]

51. Well....you sell a lot of Microsoft products that way too

Isn't Sen (Rep?) Dayton from Minnesota from the Daytons that own Target. He's a decent guy as far as I can tell.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

66. Yes, Mark Dayton is from the Dayton-Hudson Daytons

He's the most liberal member of the family, but they have always made a point of contributing a lot to charity.

[dflprincess]

65. Target Corp

donates a quite a lot of money to various community groups.

For those of you who don't know, Target Corp used to be Dayton-Hudson Corp, (Dayton as in Senator Mark). While none of the Dayton family is currenty on Target's board, it was one of Mark's uncles who set the standard for corporate donations in Minnesota while he was still involved with the company.

[veganwitch]

71. Im pissed off at Marshall Fields when...

they stopped making their chocolates in Chicago. the store is from chicago, a land market, the chocolate mints, their name escapes me right now, where made in chicago since the beginning and about 4 years ago they switched over to some other factory.

its not like i could eat them now that im vegan but still its the principle of the thing.

[Lefty48197]

72. I like Merchant of Vino

and the employees sure seem like liberals.

[1songbird]

79. Target also has the guts to

sale liberal leaning books such as "Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them" and "Dude Where's My Country".

[Woodstock]

85. don't even go there with Gates and his free computers

the day he gives away Apple computers is the day I will praise him

until then, his "gifts" that promote his monopoly are self-serving

[Paxton_Free]

14. "like a freeper, hey."

I was just on the freeper website shaking my head at how completely retarded they are with their "boycott lists." - "Let's not go see the movie "Elf" because of Ed Asner's agenda!" It's a damn movie, people. Grocery stores are damn grocery stores. I'm all for support, but they are far better ways to do it than boycotting stores.

WE ARE BETTER THAN THEM. And we always have been.

[kimchi]

17. Um, we weren't talking about boycotting stores.

We were talking about supporting progressive causes, and discussing the many ways we could save our earth by supporting local farmers, indigenous farmers, unions, and getting rid of the shrublet.

Yes, we are better than "them". We are active in making our world a better place.

I KNOW you didn't just call someone here a Freeper.

[Paxton_Free]

18. Name calling...

isn't my style. i'm just here for the cause. it's all about love. i just don't want to see us taking the path that they take. when i read posts over there talking about putting all people of muslim faith in the united states to death, i get scared. and they're big boycotters.

[kimchi]

24. You missed my point.

A) To whom does "hey, like a freeper" refer?

B) Once more, no one is talking of organized boycotting. I gave examples of where I would prefer not to shop. We are trying to frequent those establishments and buy from growers who are impacting the earth the least. If that impacts the business of those who seek to rape the earth and its inhabitants, too damn bad.

By the way, welcome to DU.

[Paxton_Free]

26. "like a freeper, hey"

i just had a madonna song in my head. like a virgin/like a freeper. i'm seriously bored. sorry i missed your point.

i'm glad to be here, thanks ;)

[Snellius]

19. Land's End sponsors Prairie Home Companion

Don't know whether it's another Ben and Jerry's or Newman's Own.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

41. "Lands End" is owned by Sears now...and they suck..imho

[realFedUp]

21. farmer's markets, artisans

Support the growers and artists directly.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. Buy books and music at locally owned stores

Even if their selection isn't the greatest, they can order anything that's in print.

Since moving to Minneapolis, I've been shopping almost exclusively at my local membership co-op (which supports local farmers and is run by an elected board) and a small, individually owned grocery store. Every once in a while, I go to Lunds (a local high-end chain that supports the arts), especially for their yummy salad dressings. I patronize a locally owned chain of coffee shops, as well as buying beans from a small roaster on my block.

There are two sources for Apple computer products convenient to where I live. One is an Apple Store, and the other is a locally owned approved dealer. I patronize the locally owned place first to see if they have what I need. If not, then I go to the Apple Store.

As a free-lance worker myself, I have a "preferential option" for small businesses.

[AP]

28. American Apparel (sweatshop free shirts)

http://www.americanapparel.net/

[info being]

29. Trader Joe's prices outrageous?

I don't understand this. You get 10x the quality for maybe 10% more compared to what you spend at Safeway.

I think Trader Joe's is the best alternative. I get 95% of my groceries from there...you can get organic for the price of non-organic elswhere.

I don't understand why people say its expensive. How often have you shopped there?

[kimchi]

33. I used to shop at Trader Joes once a week.

It seemed like a lot of money since there isn't a very good selection of items in the ones I've frequented, and I have to go elsewhere for the remainder. Secondly, my husband eats a ton of meat.

Whole Foods has a wonderful selection, and is great for bulk items. Otherwise, the "packaged" items are more expensive. I don't mind paying more for the vegetables.

We also have a wonderful super-asian market, with fresh, unusual (to me) products from all over the world. The downside is that you get beat up just walking through because it is so popular. I'll have to find out who owns it.

[Snow]

36. *snicker* With a screen name like 'kimchi' you can find unusual

products in an Asian market? Most interesting. Seriously, though -
a) I'm an old Peace Corps/Korea vol, love kimchee, eat it all the time - except Taegoo style (way too salty)

b) We moved here (Pasadena) about 18 months ago from Omaha - and love Trader Joe's extravagantly. Can't recommend them highly enough.

[kimchi]

38. Well, the entire Asian thing is new to me since I met my husband.

and my screen name is a play on my first name and his last.

So in the last three years I've learned to enjoy many things, including kimchee, but Durian fruit ain't one of them. They smell like rotten eggs. There are so many items even he isn't sure what all of them are. And trust me, my man will eat anything and everything, the more exotic the better.

The only problem is finding a time when the place isn't crowded, which is, just about never.

I will try Trader Joes again since everyone is raving about it.

[Skidmore]

30. We should NOT shop for anything but necessities...this country

needs a major work stoppage AND a major stoppage in consumer spending so that the corporate goons and their paid for politicians get the message that without consumption there is no organized business. AND they need to address idea that companies are made up of people and are not entities in and of themselves.

[Tansy_Gold]

55. You and me against the world, Skidmore

the greenest, leftest, most progressivest place to shop is not.


Tansy Gold, who backslides with her computer but not much else

[West Coast Democrat]

31. You think Trader Joe's is Expensive?

I think they're very reasonable; on some items--excellent. I do 75% of my shopping there.

[grannylib]

32. I had heard that Kohl's is Dem owned; Target used to be....eom

[kimchi]

35. Well THAT is a relief!

I love Kohl's and buy all my (3 outfits a season) there.

I'll just google around and verify that. Thanks, grannylib.

[tnlefty]

34. Not a Food Lion!

Food Lion's lawsuit against ABC helped put an end to investigative reporting and should have been chilling to us all. I don't shop at Wal-Mart for obvious reasons and I haven't been in a Target since their corporate offices encouraged Smirk* to invoke Taft-Hartley against the dockworkers last year. I have a VERY long list of businesses who won't get my money.

[mlawson]

40. Yup. Fairly sure they are repuke owned.

The headquarters is in Salisbury, Liddy Dole's hometown. The company did support her, but whether out of hometown loyalty I do not know. Anyway, their produce isn't very good, and their chiles are expensive!

Earth Fare, I am reasonably certain, is "liberal", but very expensive. I always get a kick out of watching our local hippies (who are usually on fat trust accounts) coming out of Earth Fare with boxes of soy products and grains, heading back to their organic farms and communes norht of Asheville. I can't afford to shop there for organic vegetables, but apparently they can.

[chaska]

37. Kohl's, is that a department store alla Target?

There's one in my area. Haven't been there. Won't do Wal Mart. I go to Target. But if Kohl's is lefter....

[Nikia]

77. I believe that its owned by Senator Kohl of Wisconsin

My husband told me that. I am not completely sure that it is true, but it would make sense.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

39. link to the largest directory of qualified green businesses available

http://www.greenpages.org/
the largest directory of qualified green businesses available online! Search for over 25,000 products and services from 2,000 green companies.

[kimchi]

68. Thanks so much! n/t

[Blue Gardener]

42. See Who Supports Your Local Women's Clinic

We have a Women's Clinic here that publishes their own newsletter. I am pretty sure businesses that advertise in it are a safe bet to be liberal. Might want to go this route to find information in your community.:hi:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

44. Marhta Stewart is a Democrat and has always given generously to DNC

that is why she is being attacked by bushco

[Skidmore]

46. I don't buy Martha Stewart stuff and it has nothing to do with her

political orientation. It on accounta I refuse to be dictated to in decorating the nest department and I will continue to bake cookies my way and to garden my way, etc..

[Zorra]

47. Local co-ops if you can afford it.

[guitar man]

48. Nothing here.........

God help me I am living in Hell!!!!!!

They have busted every unionized grocery chain in Oklahoma. Safeway changed its name to Homeland during its union busting,so I will not shop there. I stick to a couple of locallly owned markets. Even those are getting full of Tyson products,which I refuse to buy since they scabbed out.

I hate this place and I hate these fucking conservatives that run it! Even most of the Democrats here are conservative.

We are drowning in a sea of Wal Marts and they are building more all the time..........:(

[DUreader]

49. Get something started by bulk mail-ordering with a few friends

save some money at the same time

Organize

Also think about moving, it sounds horrible there.

[Wednesdays]

58. Go to Target...

there are plenty of Targets in Oklahoma, at least in the larger communities.

It's no co-op, but it's a start, and it's better than Wal-Mart!

:)

[MrPrax]

50. Shop Union?

here's the afl-cio links to
Worker-Friendly Shopping
http://www.aflcio.org/familyfunresources/shop.cfm?RenderForPrint=1

also
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutunions/unions/

NO Union?...
If you do not have a union at your job, find out more about how to form one. Today, more people are taking the step to form unions on the job than at any time in recent history. You can be one of them! Here are three steps that will get you started:
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutunions/howto/

SO you got a Union, but no logo
works.com/index.html

Just a thought...

[lumpy]

70. Useful site

Thanks

[sistersofmercy]

52. Gap CEO gave to bush* Estee Lauder CEO and another higher up

give to Geppy, Kerry, and Dean. I'll have to check the article but there were others. Fossil inc also gave to bush* campaign. I did a thread "Support bush* shop at the Gap." something like that anyway.

[guitar man]

53. Love your Hendrix avatar!

:)

[sistersofmercy]

57. Hey thanks and welcome to DU!

I had Alex from Clock Work Orange for a while but I think for some reason ppl didn't like it. But I just love the movie and the profound statement it made. But I'm babbling, so WELCOME!:hi:

[grasswire]

54. the best thing....

....and actually the most nutritious thing....is to buy your food from the grower closest to you. The fewer hands between the garden or farm and your mouth, the better the food will be.

One reallly reallllly realllly important factor in ecological preservation is not buying out of season fresh produce. No strawberries or watermelon in December. Frozen organic blueberries, yes.

Lots of good info at this site;


http://www.foodroutes.org/

[Woodstock]

56. Online - support fair trade and buy organic

These places sell nice stuff and help people (not exactly what you were asking):

http://www.serrv.org/
http://www.southwestindian.com/
(more...)

and organic products are good to buy (earth friendly):

http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ (hair, body, etc.)
http://www.gaiam.com/retail/gai_shophome.asp (home)
(more...)

Also Safeway and other mainstream grocery stores carry organic milk, eggs, cereal, cleaning products, etc.

[TreasonousBastard]

59. Great comments and links on this thread, but...

don't forget it's also WHAT you buy that counts.

[kimchi]

69. I guess that hummer must remain a fantasy...

Just kidding. I'm wishing for an Insight or gas/electric accord but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[pasadenaboy]

62. trader joes

locally owned businesses, ma and pops, farmers markets, etc.

[peacetalksforall]

63. Boycotts, no. Markets, yes. Co-ops, yes.

I'm against boycotting because I think it hurts little people more than the business owners. The ripple effect will hurt the low wage employees who cannot discriminate or be educated when they land a job and try to keep a job. Before reading this list, I would go to a Target over a Wal-Mart. After reading this list, I will go to a Kohls over a Target when the product lines are similar. I don't think that is boycotting. Basically, I select for service, customer liberalness and attentiveness, training, and proximity.

If given a choice between a corporate chain organic store and a co-op store, which would you select for your primary shopping list? Why aren't there more co-op stores for products other than food?

I lived in a town that had a Saturday morning market with organic products and their growers and suppliers were there and would talk to me and explain things as well as teach. They also prepared some of the foods and drinks - lucious. There were Vietnamese making all kinds of soups, fritters, noodle rolls. There were Black-Americans selling solidly southern soul food. I ate well and felt good buying there. That was two to four days of eating from one fun Saturday morning ritual.

[4323Lopez]

64. what's the deal with the pentagram?

[kimchi]

67. I'm Wicca friendly, and very pagan.

It is the Wiccan symbol to represent earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.

[SahaleArm]

74. Trader Joes is cheap...

for the quality of food you get.

http://www.localharvest.org/food-coops/

Of course in Seattle there's: http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

[lostnfound]

76. For music, CDBaby has independent artists and fair practices

I just discovered them last week.
Check out their definition of 'independent':


and this comment:

Cool thing: in a regular record deal or distribution deal, musicians only make $1-$2 per CD, if they ever get paid by their label. When selling through CD Baby, musicians make $6-$12 per CD, and get paid weekly.

[SahaleArm]

80. Also check out used music stores *nm*

*nm*

[loyalsister]

78. Lowe's

They're being very supportive of people with disabilities.
They funded a project for Occupational Therapy students to create a brochure on how to make your home "visitable," and are placing it in stores.
It begins with steps a person can take that will not cost money, and progresses to more elaborate home improvement changes to make homes more accessible to people with disabilities. GOOD stuff. I was very impressed with that effort.

[Piperay]

82. I dunno know...

last year the Lowes by me was being picketed for being anti-union and anti-worker.

[Hamlette]

83. Paul Newman's brand

has branched out and he is very liberal. Supports all kinds of liberal causes.