Brattleboro, VT (May 9, 2008) - Thanks in large part to the community education led by the grassroots group, BrattPower, Home Depot is closing its store in Brattleboro, Vermont, citing lackluster sales.

BrattPower had fought Home Depot's entry into Brattleboro (population: 11,700), but the chain was able to avoid getting tangled up in the development review process by locating its store in an existing building. When Home Depot opened in 2004, Brattleboro was already home to two independent hardware stores.

But rather than giving up, BrattPower continued its education campaign and encouraged residents to avoid the big box. The group's efforts helped inspire greater customer loyalty at the independent hardware stores, both of which felt some impact but retained enough sales to continue operating.

Four years later, the two local stores are doing well and Home Depot is leaving.

Read more about this story in a recent Boston Globe article.

To learn more about other local efforts nationwide, visit our Map.

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