page_title: Anarchist economics
section_title: Free shops
hierarchical_section_title: Anarchist economics / Issues and proposals / Gift economy / Free shops
caption_attribution_description: English: Inside Utrecht Giveaway shop. The banner reads "The earth has enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed." Français&#160;: L'intérieur d'un magasin gratuit à Utrecht en Hollande. Sur la banderole, il est écrit&#160;: "Il y a sur terre assez pour subvenir aux besoins de tous, mais pas à l'avidité de tous".
context_page_description: Anarchist economics is the set of theories and practices of economic activity within the political philosophy of anarchism. With the exception of anarcho-capitalists, who accept private ownership of the means of production and are often not considered part of the anarchist movement, anarchists are anti-capitalists, with anarchism usually referred to as a stateless system of socialism.
  Anarchism is often considered a far-left ideology and much of its economics as well as legal philosophy reflect anti-authoritarian, anti-statist and libertarian interpretations of radical left-wing and socialist politics such as communism, collectivism, free-market, individualism, mutualism, participism and syndicalism, among other libertarian socialist philosophies and theories.
  Anarchists argue that characteristic capitalist institutions promote and reproduce various forms of economic activity which they consider oppressive, including private property, hierarchical production relations, collecting rents from private property, taking a profit in exchanges and collecting interest on loans.
context_section_description: Give-away shops, freeshops, or free stores are stores where all goods are free. They are similar to charity shops, with mostly second-hand items—only everything is available at no cost. Whether it is a book, a piece of furniture, a garment or a household item, it is all freely given away, although some operate a one-in, one-out type policy (swap shops). The free store is a form of constructive direct action that provides a shopping alternative to a monetary framework, allowing people to exchange goods and services outside of a money-based economy.
  The anarchist 1960s countercultural group The Diggers opened free stores which simply gave away their stock, provided free food, distributed free drugs, gave away money, organized free music concerts, and performed works of political art. The Diggers took their name from the original English Diggers led by Gerrard Winstanley and sought to create a mini-society free of money and capitalism.
  Although free stores have not been uncommon in the United States since the 1960s, the freegan movement has inspired the establishment of more free stores. Today the idea is kept alive by the new generations of social centres, anarchists and environmentalists who view the idea as an intriguing way to raise awareness about consumer culture and to promote the reuse of commodities.
caption: Inside Utrecht Giveaway shop, where the banner reads: "The earth has enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed"
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