In discussing proposed projects by big retailers, one often hears "it will hurt the small retailer". Well, maybe and maybe not. In my neighborhood, we have Target, Cub, Rainbow, as well as I don't know how many other chains (Carx Muffler, Kennedy Transmission, McDonald's, etc etc etc)
But in this area of town, nothing seems to stop the small retailer. Just a day or two ago, an East African grocery opened up at 36th Ave and Lake. Last year (I think), we got an East African restaurant where the Embers chain closed up. We got an East African gift shop in the place where there had been a shoe repair for decades. Why don't these new immigrants flock to Cub, Target, etc? Answer: They do. In fact, a fair number of the new cashiers are African immigrants, and the CUSTOMERS are even moreso. They are the best-dressed customers that the chainstores have. However, until now, Cub, Target, and others simply haven't catered to the immigrants. Now Cub sells njera bread on a main isle. And there may be more following that. But Cub is still leaving a wide niche for small retailers because, well frankly, there are too MANY groups of immigrants with too various shopping needs. Now, I suppose up on Broadway, the new Cub will open up stocked with a lot of the special inventory that will attract the demographic of the area. But again I strongly suspect that Cub will NOT be a specialty store. That would require Super Value to alter its wholesaling business in ways that would be unprofitable. Since the small retailers probably won't start depending on Super Value wholesale, they will more closely mirror their customer's needs. And one neat thing about a micromarket is that you don't HAVE to discount. The major retailers are forced by their uniformity to discount, which they make up for by selling massively. But boutiques are far less compelled to follow that business model. Which is a good thing since they CAN'T make up for it by massive volume. All I know is that small retailers have always survived UNLESS th ey convert their business model to match the more efficient chains. These chains try to force their consumers into a straitjacket called "Buy what I wish to sell". To get out of that, consumers have to give more of their business to the more catering niche businesses. And to a large extent, they do. So don't despair of the small businesses. ---------------------------- Wizard Marks talks about being glad for Rainbow or Cub due to need for new ingredients. Given where she lives, she's very lucky with Bill's Imported Foods, and Uptown which contains about the only SPICE boutique Minneapolis has ever had, Penzey's. _________________ Jim Mork Cooper Neighborhood Longfellow Community In The Great and Wonderful City I Call Home, Minneapolis TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
