Free Shops
From GiftEconomy
Free Shops, a.k.a. Giveaway Shops are shops where everything is free. Due to the lack of income and profit, they are often in squats. Other models involve individuals running them as a hobby, using temporary spaces such as market pitches, or using permanent space which has been donated or even funded by grants. Their roots go back at least as far as the counter-culture of Haight-Ashbury, though the concept has started to become widespread only in the early 2000s, starting in Northern Europe. They are often important for more than just practical reasons of providing people with things; by providing a de-commercialised space they promote community and other voluntary activities.
To avoid redundancy and duplication, this list is intended for free shops which have both a physical and a web presence. If you run a free shop and would like help to create a web presence, contact giveaway[át]altruists.org
Contents |
[edit] Europe
Austria:
France:
Greece:
Germany:
Iceland:
Netherlands:
Norway:
UK:
- Bath
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Exeter, Brighton and others Free Bookshops
[edit] North America
Canada:
US:
- CA, Bay Area Book Exchange
- CO, Fashion Boutique, Colorado
- CO, Derailer Bicycle Collective, Denver
- MD, Freestore Baltimore
- MI, Freestore Detroit
- NC, Warren Wilson Freestore, Asheville
- OR, Freestore Portland
- Nationwide: Freestore Foodbank
[edit] Really Really Free Markets
Really Really Free Markets (RRFMs) are like free shops, but without the shops, so they don't have the trouble of managing upkeep of a premises, and are more suited to outdoor activities such as public entertainment.
