A Kmart chain store

A Wal-Mart chain store

Chain stores are a range of retail outlets which share a brand and central management, usually with standardized business methods and practices. Kmart (sometimes spelled as " K-Mart " is a chain of department stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores A brand is a collection of Images and ideas representing an economic producer more specifically it refers to the descriptive verbal attributes and concrete symbols such as a

These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. Some argue that the standardized products which result from such centralization are culturally detrimental; for example, chain music stores are frowned upon by some for stocking works of more popular music if they exclude less well known, usually independent artists. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more Critics of chains allege that they are economically damaging to communities because they extract capital that otherwise would recirculate in the local economy with independently owned businesses.

The displacement of independent businesses by chains has generated controversy in many nations and has sparked increased collaboration among independent businesses and communities to prevent chain proliferation. Such efforts occur within national trade groups such as the American Booksellers Association^[1] and Council of Independent Restaurants of America as well as community-based coalitions such as Independent Business Alliances. The American Booksellers Association (ABA is a non-profit industryassociation founded in 1900 that promotes Independent bookstores The term Independent Business Alliance refers to local affiliates of the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA National entities like the American Independent Business Alliance and The New Rules Project promote these efforts in the U. The American Independent Business Alliance ( AMIBA) is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of local Independent businesses It helps communities S. ^[2] In Britain, the New Economics Foundation promotes community-based economics and independent ownership. The New Economics Foundation (NEF is an independent British Think-tank, or in their own description a "think-and-do tank" ^[3]

By 2004, the world's largest retail chain, Wal-Mart, was the world's largest corporation in terms of gross sales. Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores

Restaurant chains

A Cracker Barrel chain restaurant. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc, is a chain of 557 "Old Country Stores" (as of 2007 each combining a retail store and a Restaurant.

A restaurant chain is a set of related restaurants, usually with the same name in many different locations either under shared corporate ownership (e. A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers. g. , In-N-Out Burgers in the U. In-N-Out Burger, usually called In-N-Out, is a chain of Fast food restaurants located in the Western United States. S. ) or franchising agreements. Franchising refers to the methods of practicing and using another person's Philosophy of business. Typically, the restaurants within a chain are built to a standard format and offer a standard menu. Fast food restaurants are the most common, but there are also midscale upscale establishments (T.G.I. Friday's, Ruby Tuesday, Olive Garden etc. Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly TGI Friday's (often shortened to " Friday's " is an American restaurant chain focusing on Casual dining, with over Ruby Tuesday is an American Casual dining Restaurant chain named after the Rolling Stones' song of the same name Olive Garden is a casual dining American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American food ). Restaurant chains are often found near shopping malls and tourist areas. A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors

The proliferation of chain restaurants (and other chain businesses) is becoming an increasingly controversial trend worldwide. A common concern is nation-wide homogenization of culture. Homogenization (or homogenisation) is a term used in many fields such as Chemistry, Agricultural science, Food technology, Sociology Some people fear this assimilation into chains creates unimaginative cuisine appealing to the lowest common denominator of society, highly processed food shipped from a central location, frozen and meant only to be reheated and served by the restaurant staff, low wages often paid to employees of chain restaurants, and the furthering of suburban sprawl. Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its Suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area In the U. S. , a movement is building among communities and independent businesses opposing this trend. Examples include the American Independent Business Alliance, The New Rules Project and the Council of Independent Restaurant Associations. The American Independent Business Alliance ( AMIBA) is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of local Independent businesses It helps communities

References

1. ^ American Booksellers Association
2. ^ American Independent Business Alliance
3. ^ New Economics Foundation

See also

• List of bookstore chains
• List of restaurant chains
• List of supermarkets, contains a number of chain stores