Economy
The National Champion of Local Business
For nearly two decades, Stacy Mitchell has tried to level a playing field she sees as tilted toward big retail.
The chichi clothing store Anthropologie has nearly 200 stores worldwide, and Stacy Mitchell thinks that's plenty.
What has earned her ire in particular is the twee retailer's pending arrival in Portland, Maine, where Mitchell grew up and now lives. This seaside city is often cited as one of America's most charming, thanks in large part to decades of regeneration spurred by local entrepreneurs. "Now that downtown is thriving," Mitchell says, "national chains have decided to get in on some of that action."