Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep

From: George Cleveland

Our town (Merrill, WI) is probably pretty typical. Before Walmart
moved in we had a couple department stores, a half dozen clothes
stores and other small businesses (cafes etc.) downtown.

After
Walmart we lost both of the department stores and most of the clothing
stores. The other small businesses regularly change owners as they
find it impossible to make enough money to stay in business in that
location.

Now we have several empty storefronts and a bunch of antique
shops who never seem to have anyone inside when I go in.

Development
in the town has shifted to the area around Wallyworld, with several
fast food places and motels being built in the last few years. It has
brought growth to some parts of the community but it seems to have
removed any sense of community from the growth, if you get my drift.


Just the opposite in the town of my birth, Ware, MA. They lost all the
department stores and all but one specialty clothing store by the early
nineties. The main street had several empty stores, and the restaurants, auto
parts, and other surviving small businesses moved to the outskirts of town.
Most of the locals shopped in Springfield, the nearest city. There was only one
supermarket, part of an area chain, and they took full advantage of their
monopoly status.

Enter Wal-Mart. They built near the businesses that had moved south of town,
and in time added a full grocery store. They provided much needed jobs, and
widened the tax base. Business interest in the town increased, specialty
appliance and electronics shops opened on Main Street. The one remaining
specialty clothing shop flourished. Professionals moved their offices into the
remaining empty storefronts. A new auto parts shop opened down the road, and
another new one is opening this summer directly across the street from W.M.
This isn't a bad idea, as folks looking for auto pats at W.M. are likely to be
disappointed, and there will be a full service shop across the steet. In
addition, Home Depot has taken notice of what happened here, and will likely be
building a new store on the W.M. property.

Conclusion is that W.M. can kill thriving small businesses, but if these
enterprises are already gone, a big box store can be a real boon to a depressed
community.




George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

In article ,
wrote:
In article ,
says...
The organization is huge and ruthless.
[snip]

JT
(who drives past Wal-mart if I can help it)

I don't believe I've ever been in a Wal-mart before (I just assumed
it was like a giant K-mart) since there isn't one anywhere nearby. If
people dislike them so much, why do they shop there?
- Ken

First, it was Mr. Taylor that made the 'huge & ruthless' comment. The
fact that I agree with him doesn't make the quote mine...

Second, you are correct--Wal-Mart and Kmart are strikingly similar from
the consumer POV. From the wholesaler POV, Wal-Mart is very different.
Wal-Mart owns very little inventory. Think of it as the world's biggest
consignment shop. Manufacturers/Wholesalers/Distributors put their
stuff on Wal-Mart's shelves and Wal-Mart pays for them after they've
sold. If they don't sell, it's not Wal-Mart's problem. An interesting
business model that has been incredibly successful. Success often
breeds despite, deserved or otherwise.

They are extremely competitive price-wise because they don't own
billions in inventory. They are very aggressive when it comes to
negotiating with the suppliers of their merchandise. IMO, they would
prefer to sell total junk for the lowest possible price than to sell a
product of reasonable quality for an additional 5%. Kmart is slightly
better when it comes to quality on many items. Target is better yet
(quality-wise) but has an anti-gun/hunting/fishing stance I don't care
for.

IME, Wal-Mart is the kind of place that if you go there looking for
something specific, they won't have it. OTOH, if you go to Wal-Mart
uncertain about what you're looking for, you'll buy *something* while
you're there.

I rarely go to Wal-Mart as a first choice.

Tom G

Now we have several empty storefronts and a bunch of antique
shops who never seem to have anyone inside when I go in. Development
in the town has shifted to the area around Wallyworld, with several
fast food places and motels being built in the last few years. It has
brought growth to some parts of the community but it seems to have
removed any sense of community from the growth, if you get my drift.
g.c.

This matches my experience in two small towns. Store after store closed and
the buildings remained empty when I was last in either town.
Fortunately, both were county seats so there remains a small population of
attorneys, bail bondsmen, and various other occupations common to courthouse
squares that still occupy some of the store fronts and upper floor offices.

People who once walked to full-time jobs with benefits must now find
transportation to the far edges of town to work part-time jobs with no
benefits.
People who once proudly made and bought products made in the USA now make
nothing and buy poorly made Chinese copies of the shoes, shirts, pants, and
other products they no longer manufacture.

Sponsoring a little league or soccer team doesn't quite make up for the way
that small town squares look at 3:00 PM on a weekday.

--
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Dark Star

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm

On 23 Apr 2004 20:09:33 GMT, ojunk (George Adams)
wrote:

From: George Cleveland

Our town (Merrill, WI) is probably pretty typical. Before Walmart
moved in we had a couple department stores, a half dozen clothes
stores and other small businesses (cafes etc.) downtown.

After
Walmart we lost both of the department stores and most of the clothing
stores. The other small businesses regularly change owners as they
find it impossible to make enough money to stay in business in that
location.

Now we have several empty storefronts and a bunch of antique
shops who never seem to have anyone inside when I go in.

Development
in the town has shifted to the area around Wallyworld, with several
fast food places and motels being built in the last few years. It has
brought growth to some parts of the community but it seems to have
removed any sense of community from the growth, if you get my drift.


Just the opposite in the town of my birth, Ware, MA. They lost all the
department stores and all but one specialty clothing store by the early
nineties. The main street had several empty stores, and the restaurants, auto
parts, and other surviving small businesses moved to the outskirts of town.
Most of the locals shopped in Springfield, the nearest city. There was only one
supermarket, part of an area chain, and they took full advantage of their
monopoly status.

Enter Wal-Mart. They built near the businesses that had moved south of town,
and in time added a full grocery store. They provided much needed jobs, and
widened the tax base. Business interest in the town increased, specialty
appliance and electronics shops opened on Main Street. The one remaining
specialty clothing shop flourished. Professionals moved their offices into the
remaining empty storefronts. A new auto parts shop opened down the road, and
another new one is opening this summer directly across the street from W.M.
This isn't a bad idea, as folks looking for auto pats at W.M. are likely to be
disappointed, and there will be a full service shop across the steet. In
addition, Home Depot has taken notice of what happened here, and will likely be
building a new store on the W.M. property.

Conclusion is that W.M. can kill thriving small businesses, but if these
enterprises are already gone, a big box store can be a real boon to a depressed
community.




George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller


And to be honest you won't find me mourning many of the businesses
that bit the bullet. We're a small city of 10,000. And its been about
10,000 since the 1930s. This lead to an extreme amount of social
in-brededness. Meaning... that if you went into one of the stores and
they either didn't know you or they thought you weren't "their sort of
people" they would treat you like ****. And they did. So it was with
mixed emotions that I watched them curl up and fail.


g.c.

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 20:36:08 GMT, "slenon"
wrote:

Now we have several empty storefronts and a bunch of antique
shops who never seem to have anyone inside when I go in. Development
in the town has shifted to the area around Wallyworld, with several
fast food places and motels being built in the last few years. It has
brought growth to some parts of the community but it seems to have
removed any sense of community from the growth, if you get my drift.
g.c.

This matches my experience in two small towns. Store after store closed and
the buildings remained empty when I was last in either town.
Fortunately, both were county seats so there remains a small population of
attorneys, bail bondsmen, and various other occupations common to courthouse
squares that still occupy some of the store fronts and upper floor offices.

People who once walked to full-time jobs with benefits must now find
transportation to the far edges of town to work part-time jobs with no
benefits.
People who once proudly made and bought products made in the USA now make
nothing and buy poorly made Chinese copies of the shoes, shirts, pants, and
other products they no longer manufacture.

Sponsoring a little league or soccer team doesn't quite make up for the way
that small town squares look at 3:00 PM on a weekday.


Merrill is the county seat of Lincoln county. I can vouch for the
attorney offices. As far as bail bondsmen...I think they take chickens
and other produce in trade for prisoners at the county jail.


g.c.

In article ,
"Doug Kanter" wrote:

Cripes....the WM employees can't put 10 boxes of cereal on display neatly.
Imagine a rack of 100 different flies.....

THey already do have flies. At least our WM does. They have the same
plastic compartmental type do hickey that some fly shops use. They also
sell scientific angler flyrods, flyreels, combo's, fly line, leader,
etc. I saw a okuma sierra fly reel at walmart for $30.

--
Bush is a disgrace to the constitution. See
http://www.amconmag.com/12_15_03/feature.html
http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=...ticle&sid= 39

wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

I don't believe I've ever been in a Wal-mart before (I just assumed
it was like a giant K-mart) since there isn't one anywhere nearby. If
people dislike them so much, why do they shop there?
- Ken

Your correct, they are a large K-mart. In part, WM has become a one stop
shop, they carry most everything the average person needs at a reasonable
price (quality is another issue). I see many people drive in for an oil
change, do their odds and ends shopping and pickup the groceries required
for the week. Personally, not my bag. It comes down to convenience.
I am not so sure "most" people don't see what WM does. They moved in and the
K-mart and Rite Aid down the block both went out of business....

JT

Merrill is the county seat of Lincoln county. I can vouch for the
attorney offices. As far as bail bondsmen...I think they take chickens
and other produce in trade for prisoners at the county jail.
g.c.

I was fortunate to escape that locale before the loss of currency as a means
of exchange.

However, there was the time the truck carrying a load of frozen hams broke
down and the local hospital wound up somehow destributing them as holiday
bonuses. Not wanting one, I, of course, received two. They had an off odor
and a green sheen through the plastic wrap that somehow suggested
Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They somehow went missing between work and the
house. Nor did I ever eat ham in that hospital cafeteria after that time.

--
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Dark Star

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm

Greg Pavlov wrote in
:

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:19:52 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

Around here (Rochester NY), Wal Mart hasn't made much of a dent
in that category.

That's because Wegman's is in town, which is
probably the best there is in the supermarket
business, and Tops also competes very well.


Wegman's is great, but also not so great for the small business owner.
They compete with pharmacies, dry cleaners, video rental places, pet
stores, and some restaurants.

Scott

"Steve Sullivan" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Doug Kanter" wrote:

Cripes....the WM employees can't put 10 boxes of cereal on display
neatly.
Imagine a rack of 100 different flies.....

THey already do have flies. At least our WM does. They have the same
plastic compartmental type do hickey that some fly shops use. They also
sell scientific angler flyrods, flyreels, combo's, fly line, leader,
etc. I saw a okuma sierra fly reel at walmart for $30.

Well, if fly shops begin to vanish the way gun shops do when Wally World
comes to town, and new anglers can't get advice, there should be some
excellent streamside comedy in the future.