"dpb" wrote in message
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benick wrote:

"dpb" wrote in message
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benick wrote:
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Not to hijack the thread but if the local business can't compete you
are only prolonging the agony..Their are plenty of ways for locals to
remain competive , starting a co-op to increase buying power ,
diversefing products , providing more advice ,being open on the
weekends ect. ,ect..

OTOH, if locals simply get into the habit of either going online or out
of town routinely, it doesn't matter what the local merchant does,
either.

As for the "agony" part, one soon can learn what real agony is when
there no longer is a local grocery, pharmacy, whatever, entirely.

At that point most gladly admit they should have been more aggressive in
supporting local merchants but it's too late.

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If the reason local folk "get in the habit" of going online or out to the
outskirts to Walmart ,Sears,Target , Cosco , Homedepot , Lowes ,Walgreens
, Best Buy , or the mall , ect. is because said local merchant isn't OPEN
, doesn't have the inventory or is more expensive ,

...
That isn't necessarily the only reason at all...often it is simply a habit
that has become engrained or an attempt to save a few pennies by avoiding
local/state sales taxes; meanwhile actually spending as much or more in
either travel or shipping.

I used to live in a smaller community just down the road a half-hour from
a larger place--as just one example, people regularly complained about
lack of places to eat in town. Yet, now matter how many attempted to
cater to that demand over a 10-15 year period, the persistent habits were
never overcome and none managed to survive and yet people continued to
complain there was "nowhere in town" when it was definitely not true. The
same phenomenon occurred in other retail trades as well.

And again, I'm looking at it from the viewpoint of smaller communities
that are, indeed, distant from other markets/larger communities where it
isn't just another couple of blocks down the street to the next
SuperCenter instead of Target or whatever.

If people aren't willing to support their neighbors and communities, they
can't complain when their community no longer can support the amenities
they would like.

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So you consider "Target" a "local retailor" and a Walmart Supercenter
not...LOL...Surely you jest....Perhaps folks were comlaining about "no
places to eat" because there were no Pizza Hut , KFC , Taco Bell or Micky
Dees..As I said , we live in a different "faster" time..Perhaps folks on the
run don't have time to spend a hour or two eating at the local diner or Chic
Hole In The wall Restaurant downtown..Especially if they have to travel out
of town to shop anyway...That is why you see FAST food restaurants near
shopping plazes....Supercenters are popular for more than just saving
mony..They save TIME..No need to run all over creation to get all that is
needed...Groceries , jeans and an oil filter for the car all in one
stop...Plenty of parking and restaurants are close by....Time is money as
well....I live in a very small town...30-50 miles to cities....You also
completely ignored that the downtown stores typically close at 5 and aren't
open on the weekend especially SUNDAY which is now about the biggest
shopping day of the week...I suppose you also long for the days when it was
illegal for stores to be open on Sunday ???