Store closings

To recoup costs and show a profit just like any other business. What may seem higher priced is the fact more often than not, s/h to their location is extra and usually smaller quantities at a higher per unit cost. Further, they maybe buying from a warehouse that charges more for doing business on small scale or they pass on what they're costs are. They offer what is considered a service to the immediate area and more than likely everything is bundled into the small location. I can't remember all those little stores I've used when going fishing/hunting to drop-in and get something I forgot or plain needed for the moment was offered in those out of the way places. Sure, it costed more, but not much more than what was expected. Of course, if it was too much, I remember the next time and be sure to pack that item in on the repeat trip. It seemed the soda tasted better or maybe they offered a soda I hadn't seen in awhile.

I mentioned all this because the cost doesn't reflect the effort some stores have to charge. Plus, they may not get constant travel all the time and/or is seasonal.

Sometimes, I hate going into a big store or outlet to get something when for several items I have to park, get, wait and then return to main road. It so much simpler with a small shop, provided they have it. -----Willy

...quit giving long term property tax breaks to big box stores for moving into an area. It's not fair the smaller stores who have been there for years, decades even, should pay higher property taxes per sq ft of floor space than the big box stores. To appeal to voters officials will often talk about all the jobs THEY are bringing to an area, but not so much about the jobs that will be lost nor at what cost to everyone for property taxes lowered or set aside to "lure" the stores there.

If you have 3-4 smaller towns in an area, the one that can lure the big box store to their town will prosper while the others will fade, often to nothing. Since each small town can make their own deal to lure the big box store, then the easiest way is property tax set asides and other special privileges to the big box store that no other long term smaller store in the area has ever received.

Restore fair play, enforce it, and you will see the change you desire. Stab one group in the back while laying out the red carpet for the other and you get what you observe today. Remove the legal abilities for elected officials to give special tax considerations for some corporations over others, you'll see a change. You'll also see those elected officials who make under $100K per year no longer living like those who make several times that amount and end up much richer at the end of their time of "service" than when they were first elected.

Whether in a small town or a city neighborhood, the retail culture changes forever when Wal-mart arrives. It blasts every existing store out of the water. If you want your local retail stores to survive you have to support them knowing that products will be lower at Wal-mart.

We have a couple of Wal-Marts in the area and they haven't blasted other stores out of existence. Wal-Mart prices aren't always the lowest either.

We enjoyed the older one near the house, then they built a new huge superstore at the next interstate exit. Too big. Takes too long and have to cover too much of the floor to find the same things we could do quicker in the older smaller store. We quit. Now we shop Target instead, since it's still about the size of the old walmart store. You can get too big, and they did, for us.