I was shopping the other day and overheard a conversation between the checkout person and a shopper. He said to her, “Yeah, this happens all the time, people buy things where they work, but they return them here…” The conversation trailed off as I walked away, but I was trying to imagine his face as he said that.
He couldn’t have been very happy, though he was no doubt serving that customer with a smile. She maybe felt bad too, a little, knowing the trouble she was putting him through; all the work, none of the profit. Was she thinking it was easy enough to shop there this day, to return an item, so how hard could hit have been to shop there that day to buy an item? I was, as I walked away. Was she considering the good buying local could do for the community? Probably not.
It got me thinking about bedroom communities. Bedroom communities are those places that have lots of people living in them; in houses, condos and apartments – who work out of town. Many of us, in the New Britain – Berlin area, do live here and work out of area, so this is, to us, a bedroom community. These people send their kids to school here, they go to church here and join clubs here, collect basic services, but do they shop here? Sometimes they do do their shopping here; but often it just seems more convenient to shop near work.
What is this doing on the home front?
Though shopping near work could be convenient, and sometimes even a little less expensive, have you considered what is this doing on the home front? Sure, saving a few bucks or a few minutes is helping to win the battle, but is it causing us to lose the war? What effects are created by our actions?
Well, it is making it tough for local business and especially small business. Seeing people only driving by on their way to work means no customers. No customers means no business. No business means less taxes supporting the community; less money being spent in the community means less money staying in the community. It isn’t just the big box stores or national chains that are causing local business to falter. It is you and me.
We might bemoan the closing of another business, but should we be surprised?
Look at the local businesses in our community on your way to work. Do you wonder how they are doing? Some are doing well and will always be in demand. Some are struggling. Some are near disaster. Look at them, out your car window gliding by on your way to work. Give some thought to each business you pass. Which one will you miss the most if they suddenly go away? Which business will have the biggest impact on your life if they need to close their doors? How will your local look with empty buildings and missing shops?
When we see empty stores, or going out of business sales, maybe we feel bad. Maybe we jump on those sales; who can pass up a bargain, but if you are like me you feel bad, bad for them and all the people who worked for them. This is someone’s dreams going down the tubes because they just couldn’t make it. If you are like me you might be thinking of the time or two you went into that shop in the last couple of years, because it was handy…bought a thing or two, but didn’t go back very often though you needed what they carried. And if you are like me you might feel a little responsible, now they are closing, but then you might allow yourself to feel better because, after all, you are just one person, what real difference could you make, could you have made? You might be surprised.
The funny thing is you might not think of this when the Mayor and City or town tell you they need to raise the mill rate again, that taxes need to go up. When they tell you they need more money to run the municipal services you take for granted; the clearing of snow, the maintenance of parks, you probably think someone is mis-managing something.
Image via Wikipedia
You probably don’t think about the missing small businesses, or how their absence reduces collectable taxes for your municipality, requiring them to go to you to make up for the shortfall. And when your kid wants to join little league and they hit you up for the uniforms and fees, you probably wonder where that business went that sponsored them last year; oh, yeah, they went out of business. And you probably feel pretty bad come the holidays when there are so many empty stores, so few shops, leaving the town looking a bit deserted. (Which you might notice on your way to the mall, out of town.)
Does it make you think, “Someone should do something about this!” Does it make you think “Maybe I should have done something about this?” I hope you take a moment to think about this, before it is too late. Shopping local and supporting local business who support our community is what you can do about this. Supporting them is supporting us.
Maybe the best way to Protest Wall Street is to Support Main Street.
