Reverend Billy | No 7-Eleven

Many thanks to The Villager for today’s article:

BY JEFFERSON SIEGEL | Manhattan can boast of a dubious achievement: You don’t have far to walk to find a bank, drugstore or chain coffee house. While these businesses occupy almost every corner in town, it’s difficult to find a shoe repair store, tailor or most other basic services within walking distance.

In the East Village and Lower East Side, a dearth of supermarkets has left small delis and bodegas to provide food and dry goods to the neighborhood.

Now, a group of activists are sounding the alarm for these small businesses with the anticipated arrival of a 7-Eleven convenience store on Avenue A.

Last Saturday, dozens gathered by the Hare Krishna Tree in Tompkins Square Park for a serious, and occasionally satirical, protest against the national retailer’s impending arrival.

“No chains on the Lower East Side,” said Robert Galinsky while wearing a rusted chain around his neck.

Bob Holman of the Bowery Poetry Club chanted, “Corporate clones out of Loisada.”

Organizers warned of an impending flood of the Slurpee-slinging chain. Already there are more than 8,000 7-Elevens in the U.S. and some 48,000 worldwide. Another 100 outlets are planned for Manhattan in the next four years.

Continue reading Chain reaction sparks anti-7-Eleven protest in park [The Villager]

‘No 7-Eleven’ and Reverend Billy from The Church of Stop Shopping took to Tompkins Square Park yesterday to spread some Localujah!

First there was the Community Wheel of Fortune [Video], a mash-up of sterile corporatization with entities like Stunkin’ Dobucks, Chase Blank, CVS Duane Raid, Denny McSubwhop and, of course, 7-Eleven. Kids from the neighborhood spun the wheel to convert these ubiquitous chain stores into neighborhood-friendly local businesses. They each won a new Stop 7-Eleven pin. Localujah!

Then there were the plays! In Converting NYC Bodegas to 7-Elevens [Video], a spokeswoman from 7-Eleven comes all the way to New York City from Texas with the help of her “corporate app map app” and speaks to a local bodega owner about converting his bodega to a shiny new 7-Eleven! The local bodega owner is shocked to learn his store is a “target” because the East Village is “underserved.” (He’s also puzzled by the spokeswoman’s interest in the North Village!)

The 7-Eleven spokeswoman explains the conversion process: The 7-Eleven corporate headquarters in the great state of Texas will subsidize the bodega turned 7-Eleven until all the local competition is dead, then eliminate any excess like, for example, the bodega owner’s new 7-Eleven franchise! What a plan!

In the other plays, 7-Eleven threatens to bring their own local color to the neighborhood, bright orange, green and red, make a failed attempt at slam poetry, “Roses are Dead! Violets Suck! Indy Stores are Shit Outta Luck!,” and brag about their 48,000 locations worldwide. What culture! Unfortunately there was no mentioned of the infamous 7-Eleven mashed potato vending machine.

You can watch a roundup of the afternoon’s festivities here.