Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Brick and Mortar (sparked by the Radio Shack thread) — Parallax Forums

Brick and Mortar (sparked by the Radio Shack thread)

mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
edited 2012-09-28 07:12 in General Discussion
The thread about the Radio Shack thread led me to thinking about what brick & mortar stores I really shopped at. I wasn't surprised with what I came up with but it was rather interesting.

I like in a midewest town with a population of about 28,000. We're about 30 miles out of Cleveland, Ohio so we aren't really a subburb but close enough to a (formerly) major city.

Of the shops in Medina where I actually shop and spend money:

Local grocery stores
Wal-mart (food, clothes, misc)
Target (clothes, misc.)
Drug stores
Gas Stations (convenience stores)
Car dealer (we did buy our last cars locally)
Restaurants (dine-in and fast food & ICE CREAM)
Home Depot
Sears Hardware
Radio Shack
Jewelers
Pet Supplies Plus
Tractor Supply
Local farm co-op
Local hardware store (old fashioned, really cool!)
Auto parts

Not really local but close:
Best Buy
Tack Shop
Barnes & Noble
Woodcraft
Rockler
Harbor Freight
Stained Glass supplies

I can't think of the last time I bought something from a store in a mall.

Clothes/Shoes are either from Walmart or Target or mostly online.

We used to have a local mom & pop bookstore, it closed when Borders moved into town, now Borders is gone. Thanks, Borders!

Anything else I can think of is purchased online (probably too much from Parallax!! :lol:) - most/all hobbies are supported online except for the dormant stained glass crafting.

The stores mostly sell perishable or immediate need items. Some of it is because I need tactile feedback on the item before purchase.

You'd have to threaten me with physical violence before I went to shoe store or clothing store.

How about you guys??

Comments

  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2012-09-27 14:50
    I live in a small town in central Mississippi, population about 26,000. Nearly any type of store you'd want is in the state capitol, but that's 25 miles away and the gas would cost $6-7 to make the trip. You have to want something pretty badly to drive there for it.

    Locally we have, and I use:

    Kroger (grocery store) nice store, I like it
    Wal-mart (annoys me that I have to shop here but there's no other choice locally)
    Walgreens (Drug store, only other choice is Kroger pharmacy)
    Gas Stations (only the convenience store part, Kroger sells gas)
    Car dealer (haven't bought a vehicle in 9 years, hope to make another 9 before I do again)
    Restaurants (Burger King or Popeye's, but I rarely eat out)
    Home Depot (yay, thankfully we have one of those)
    Radio Shack (we have one but haven't been inside in years)
    Auto parts (a local family owned shop does all my auto work)
    Harbor Freight (there's one near the airport 25 miles away, it's rare that I go there)
    Target (25 miles away, so I almost never make the trip)

    That's about all the local shopping/money spending I do. Almost all my electronic and computer stuff is purchased online, primarily Mouser and Newegg.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2012-09-27 19:11
    Dollar Tree, Target, Michael's (for projects), Joanns (doing some electronic textiles these days), occasionally Walmart. My wife does most of the grocery shopping, because I always come back with garbage to eat.

    -- Gordon
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2012-09-27 23:22
    Most businesses in this 7000-inhabitant tourist burg are locally owned, operated, and non-franchised. The exceptions are McDonalds, Subway, Papa Murphy's, Safeway, QFC, O'Reilly, NAPA, Les Schwab, a few gas stations, and maybe a handful of others that don't come to mind right now. A&W, Domino's, and KFC left years ago, and a local PR campaign prevented a Rite-Aid from coming in. (The bumper stickers said "Rite-Aid, Wrong Town.") The RadioShack is an independent, locally-owned Associate store. Being a tourist town, however, some basic goods have to be obtained from 40 miles away in Sequim or Silverdale, where the chains abound. Everything I wear on a regular basis comes from Target, Costco, and Big 5 Sporting Goods, except for my favorite Wigwam wool socks, which I bought by the caseload from the local food co-op. I can't remember the last time I was in a mall, and I refuse to set foot in a Walmart. ('Sorry Arkansas, I don't buy your sorry-@$$ chicken either.)

    A typical out-of-town foray includes stops at Costco, Target, PetSmart, Office Depot -- and Michael's if Browser has worn out the ostrich feather I tease him with. Michael's also carries balsa and thin birch plywood for laser cutting.

    I buy a lot of stuff in-town, especially from the hardware store, the local computer store (which, surprisingly, has competitive prices), and RadioShack. I like helping to support the local businesses, especially during the off-tourist season when they suffer most, even though prices here tend to be high compared to those in bigger cities. The downtown area here, during the winter, is like a stage between acts, with businesses folding, moving in, or simply relocating to better locations to snag the tourist dollars.

    But, to make a long story bearable, the bottom line is this: brick-and-mortar stores are important. They're not only convenient -- I don't have to wait a day or more for UPS -- but they're essential to a thriving local economy. I support them when I can and buy from Amazon when I can't.

    -Phil
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-09-28 00:02
    I generally stay out of department stores and malls to avoid buying things I don't really need.

    So here in Taiwan, I do most of my shopping with small businessmen. I do occasionally wander into department stores and malls, but only to visit the book stores.

    Other than that, I visit Starbucks daily and youall may have noticed when I have had 'one too many lattes'. The typing goes too pot and you get lots of revisions from me.

    Personally, I think the big 'commissary-like' mega stores should be banned as small shops are run by people that manage to take care of themselves and do wonderful things to help customers. I am rather weary of being ignored by sales clerks and wandering aimlessly to find a person that will ring up my sale.

    Do gas stations really count as 'bricks and mortar' stores? I just consider them a necessary evil, like banks and laundromats.
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2012-09-28 05:25
    Do gas stations really count as 'bricks and mortar' stores? I just consider them a necessary evil, like banks and laundromats.
    Stand alone gas stations are hard to find these days, as are stand alone convenience stores. Most gas stations have added convenience shopping and most convenience stores now sell gas. They have both become the same thing. These days you increasing find a fast-food restaurant inside also.
  • Peter KG6LSEPeter KG6LSE Posts: 1,383
    edited 2012-09-28 06:58
    Iam 4 weeks new my place but I do have my places to shop

    Frys
    NAPA
    ACE

    sherrys
    rice tine
    lambs market

    that is about it
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2012-09-28 07:12
    @peter, a nice mix of local and chain shopping.

    I really try to support local shops, restaurants, specialty stores when I can, etc. I always pick a local coffee shop over Starbucks. But it is getting harder and harder to do and the BIG stores have predatory techniques to drive out competition and then may or may not survive in the new location. Sadly, they don't fail until they have dried up all the local places. It's another case of "back when I was young I liked things better!"
Sign In or Register to comment.