It’s funny someone mentioned how most small towns have all of those exact same big box stores now. I was on tour for 6 months last summer & when you’re out on the road going across the country for a long stretch like that you start to realize that every single city in America has started to look exactly the same.
If someone in the band wanted DVD-Rs or something computer related, we could always count on the fact that no matter where we were, we would be passing a Best Buy within the next few hours. And for dinner there were always a million choices - no wait, make that 3: Applebees, Fridays, and Chilis.
I’ve been ranting about Starbucks and Wal Mart for years, but it was probably only when I actually saw firsthand the damage huge chains can do - stealing the character and individuality right out from under our communities, that really started to hate them.
Nothing is absolute, some are better than others and actually give back to the community, and some are a wolf in sheep’s clothing given the long term effects they have on our community both locally and nationally. I doubt talking about any of this has changed anyone’s mind, but it makes me really happy that there were so many reblogs and that we were able to have such a lively discussion. I don’t really care what you do with your money, as long as you remain conscious that you’re doing it.
I think the underlying tragedy here has probably been the many small family-owned businesses that Starbucks has helped to close down over the years. They knew exactly what they were doing when they made those “poor real estate decisions”. They never planned on leaving any of those locations open, and I can’t believe that anyone would think otherwise. Do you really think they NEEDED one 40 feet away from another? I really wish people would put more thought into the often unspoken casualties of supporting their local Starbucks/Blockbuster/WalMart/Costco, etc.
You have a voice as a consumer and where you choose to spend your dollar does affect everything. Say no to the homogenization of America. Please support your neighbors and shop locally whenever possible.
If we don’t start making better (more local) decisions on where we spend our money we can all say goodbye to every mom and pop store in America. I realize that often times these chains (in particular a WalMart or an Amazon or Target or whatever) are a more convenient way to shop than buying things piece-meal from numerous independent specialty stores, but ultimately I think the effort to shop locally is important. Our patronage of local retailers keeps them in business and keeps alive a city’s local charm, independence and character. I imagine a city without local coffee shops and boutiques and book stores and it saddens me to think of the unique culture that was lost with failure of these businesses.
For a long time there was not a Starbucks to be found in Baltimore (likely due more to the city’s economic woes than to any unified push against chain establishments but still) but you can see them around more frequently now. There’s also a Best Buy downtown now while the small, ancient electronics store in Canton is closing. And the Outback Steakhouse in the Can Company appears to always be packed with people while corner bars and restaurants throughout the city fail to be able to pay their bills. It’s sad. And I think one day when we’re fat off of bloomin’ onions and our Kindle Reader is broken and we’ve had our fill of $5.00 coffee, we will regret always putting convenience over quality and character.
This is a nice thought, but it isn’t realistic. People shop at places like Walmart out of necessity, not because they like it. If you ask anyone why they shop at Walmart, the typical answer will be “because of the low prices.” If a single parent is presented with 2 identical packs of toilet paper, one selling for $2.99 and the other for $5, it doesn’t really matter which store is offering it. That’s how Walmart became so successful. They undercut the competition so much that it drove a lot of the mom and pops out of business.
The Walmarts of the world completely dilute a unique community, but they also provide opportunities for folks who wouldn’t have them otherwise. I think it’s inappropriate to expect people to change their shopping habits if it means a lower quality of life for them.
My argument doesn’t apply to places like Starbucks however, which charge an arm and a leg for a cup of joe. That’s why I go to Bluehouse :)
No, while I believe that Wal-Mart is more appealing because of thier marginally lower prices due in part to Wal-mart buying in bulk there is something to be said about the location. Mom and Pop stores aren’t corporate chains and therefore are not convienently located in three or four spots across town. People are just lazy.
An example of this is mall parking. Allegedly (and I get this from when I worked at Tysons Corner in McLean, VA) customers will drive off if they can’t park super close to whatever store they are going to buy something from (yet when people go to a mall they spend hours walking around). People also end up spending more at Wal-Mart than a Mom and Pop joint (given that the prices are lower they’ll be more prone to spend more).
I think that it is completely appropriate to expect someone to change thier shopping habits even if it means a lower quality of life. As an example, don’t we make a huge deal about how much gas someone is using in an SUV? Who are we to tell someone to stop watering their lawn (which actually does MORE damage to the environemnt and is MORE wasteful than over watering)? With the logic that we shouldn’t expect people to change shopping habits if it means a lower quality of life, then we shouldn’t expect people to give two shits about the environment becuase half of the stuff that hurts it are consumer products which must be bought.
As for starbucks, I’ve never really been a fan of the company. They’ve always felt “fake plastic tree” to me; never genuine, never original, and never as if they really understood the passion that true coffee lovers have for coffee. It’s always been a place that subvertly imposes their own system of beliefs upon the customers and has become some kind of class icon.
And I think one day when we’re fat off of bloomin’ onions and our Kindle Reader is broken and we’ve had our fill of $5.00 coffee, we will regret always putting convenience over quality and character.Really? It’s been close to 20 years since anyone has rememebred truly original stores and what it was to explpore a city for what original things it offers.
Case in point: Bisbee, AZ
We EXPECT to see Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Blockbuster, and Circuit City. As a matter of fact, I had to try and convince KarmCity that my town wasn’t as ‘country’ as he would think by telling him “we even have a Kohls, Best Buy, 2 Super Wal-Marts and 2 Lowe’s. It is like people view these places as a form of status progression.
But, the problem doesn’t ust lie in the companies that engage in “poor real estate choices” as a way to push the little guys out. No, these companies go to small towns where the people make little money and need an economic boost with promises to the political leaders taht they’ll brings jobs and stability to the community and then pay a LOT of people bare minimum wage with a super high standard on service (making it a job people are very underpaid to do) for the sake of branding. Then they open a second shop, telling the community that it’ll sttract more money when in fact all it does it divide the money in two places and one store will shut down (Lowe’s did that here in Warner Robins). Whan then happens is the closing store lays off a lot of people and can’t transfer them to the remaining store. You end up with half the promise kept in reference to job creation and higher prices than planned making the cost of living go up, local shops close and an abandoned building that the corporation now owns and will sell for 5 times what it cost them to build (meaning the next people to get the building will have to either subdivide the building like a strip mall or have high overhead in rent), and overcharge for whatever they do.
