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life without chain stores
genkaku
Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
Just an interesting rumination on what life was like or might be like without chain stores:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/imagining-a-world-without-chain-stores/2011/06/09/AGWv11OH_story.html?hpid=z3
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/imagining-a-world-without-chain-stores/2011/06/09/AGWv11OH_story.html?hpid=z3
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Comments
I believe everyone should boycott Wal-Mart; they use business practices in developing countries that are illegal in the US, in order to take over successful chains owned by those countries' businessmen. This US take-over sucks the money away from the local/regional economy, hobbling the process of upward mobility in those countries.
Secondly, the good old days of local stores, rather than chain stores, weren't so good when it comes right down to it. For example, in my hometown there was one shoe store...hope you liked their small selection...hope you liked their "most popular sizes only" policy of stocking their shelves...hope you like the ability to order special and get your shoes 6 weeks later. We had one sports store...hope you liked only the major sports, because anything the least bit off beat...too bad...we don't carry that. Event today, in Falls Church, Virginia (where I lived most of the last 30 years) they have a neat hardware store right there on the main street (Broad Street). It was in walking distance from my townhouse. It was fun to go there...but not so fun to pay 30% -100% more for the same item than you could buy it at Lowes or Home Depot...not so fun to go there and more than half the time find out they didn't have you wanted and you'd end up at HD or L anyway.
Now, in re American chains overseas. I can't speak for all places, but in Thailand it's not what it appears. You will see McDonalds all over Bangkok. But, the company is actually owned by McThai, Inc., which pays a franchise fee to the American parent corporation, but McThai is virtually wholly owned by Thais, and uses primarily Thai products (unless they are not available). All companies in Thailand must have majority ownership by Thais. Carrefour (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) just left Thailand...but that French chain in Thailand was owned majority by Thais.
Why would Thais want to shop in a big box store like Carrefour...because they can buy most of what they want one-stop, rather than go all over Bangkok looking for stuff in a dozen different small shops.
Large chains are much more efficient and that can be beneficial, but not inherently so. Efficiency is often seen as the optimal solution for economies, however if all the gains in efficiency go to those at the top what benefit is there really. With small business the items will probably cost more but that money will stay in the economy and be spent by the owners employing trade workers on their homes, buying goods from other shop owners etc. thus increasing employment and wages. When money flows between people it has a multiplying effect. If the money goes to the top, they don't tend to spend or invest as much of it. Buying a multi-million dollar yacht also employs people but so does 10,000 people buying a new TV and 10,000 people benefiting is a greater benefit than one person.
If you want to get nationalistic about it too the money invested, at least for the last 30 years in the US has largly gone overseas. From a long-term global view this may be better economically in the long run. But in the mean time you can say good bye to well paying, low skill jobs that could support a family. If you're growing up in the west an education is more important than ever, though the expense of that is quickly getting out of reach.
An everyone for themselves approach will leave the powerful with everything.
Well, I was critiquing the article, first of all. And I also wanted to introduce the idea that one can choose where one shops, one can opt out of the big-box phenom. Plenty of people do. One can consciously and deliberately (mindfully) choose where to drop one's dimes, rather than lemming-like, follow the trends/crowds. Some may feel it's worth it to pay more to shop locally where the owner knows you, rather than driving to the edge of town where the mega-stores are. Some may prefer to give their money to the local owner, and keep it in the community, rather than to a corporation.
I remember the days of the one shoe store in the neighborhood. They had a great selection, kept up with the trends, were really good with personal service. Our neighborhood hardware store had everything we ever needed, plus a selection of kitchenware and other extras for the ladies. There was an ice-shop in the same block, where people could hang out and run into friends. Have you ever tried to get any service at Home Depot? It's nearly impossible (and the lines at the cash registers--OMG!), unless a Lowe's happens to move into town, then HD polishes up its act. HD is so huge, I get tired just walking around to collect the 2 or 3 small items I need.
Oh well. Neither of us is going to win this argument, V. You say toMAYto, I say toMAHto. I respect you anyway.
I try to support local businesses but they have to deserve my support. Some small business owners are smart and provide good service and products that are a good deal for a moderately higher price. Others are just dumb. They don't always keep their product stocked. When I asked if they could tack an item on with their next shipment, they agreed but failed to tell me when they delayed their order by several weeks. I ended up ordering what I needed on line. I gave them a second chance, and overheard the shop owner and her small business neighbor next door talking about their customers and not in a nice way. I didn't care for that at all. If people spend their money in your shop, you should appreciate it and have some respect for them.
This same shop owner complained endlessly about the big box store up the road and how she refuses to shop there. It was kind of hypocritical since she wouldn't buy goods from local artists because it would be too expensive, but would buy the cheap imports instead.
It's six of one and half dozen of the other. Sometimes I shop local, other times I shop at the big box store. I do look for American made products either way- that's a challenge. Sometimes you just end up shopping online.