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Post by 1shotwade on May 2, 2015 11:22:51 GMT
You may have read the thread by Trellis about trying to buy local. It's really hard to do anymore.I try but "come on"!
I picked up a used chipper last fall. Luckily I came with extra belts.being this is my first experience with one I went thru a couple belts just learning the limitations of the machine.I needed to have a spare on hand so I called Napa,the closest auto parts store,12 miles away. They priced the belt at $16&change and said I could pick it up tomorrow evening after it comes in.
I thought this was a bit high so I got on amazon. Sure 'nuff! I ordered 2 belts for $6 and change each + shipping. To my door,one day later $17.79. Sure beats Napa's$16 & change,plus the long distance phone call,plus sales tax ,plus 1 1/2 gallons of gas,plus extra time and wear on my vehicle!
How then can you possibly buy local anymore. If i can get the belt for $6 + I know Napa can. If I can get it shipped for $4 and change I know napa can. So they will have maybe $10 in the belt by the time it gets to me and are making an extra $7 for the sale.
I can't see how local shops will ever compete for your money without be specialized. The world is poised to go completely to big box stores or internet sales for general merchandise and locals are on their way out.
Wade
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Post by Ozarks Tom on May 2, 2015 13:39:34 GMT
To a certain extent the problem is overhead. The online vendors many times don't even have a warehouse, but pass the order on to either the manufacturer or a distributor. Local stores have an overhead to cover before they put a profit margin on the product. The 80/20 rule in retail says a store will do 80% of it volume on 20% of its inventory, but they've got to have the other 80% of inventory to keep feet coming through the door.
When I had my area rug stores I was constantly in competition with online sellers. People would come in, see a rug they liked, and go online to buy it. Of course, if there was a problem with their purchase they paid freight back to the seller, and sometimes a re-stock charge. In some cases manufacturers would put a price minimum on online vendors, so as to keep them from gutting the market for the brick and mortar stores where they did the majority of their business. We got to the point where we'd name/label the rugs ourselves, and hang them with the manufacturer's label at the top where they couldn't be read. I had store rent, billboards, salaries/with required contributions, insurances, electric/gas, phone, etc. before I put the first bean on my table. The online sellers had a computer geek and a couple order processors.
My initial investment included inventory, licenses, racks, furnishings, signage, computers, deposits on rent/insurances/sales tax, build out, billboard vinyls & installation, and a hundred other incidentals. All things I had to recoup over the long haul that online sellers had just a small portion of. Being a retail store is expensive. Our main advantages over online sellers was excellent customer service, and immediate availability.
I'll pay extra to have local stores there when I need them.
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Post by Melissa on May 2, 2015 14:03:35 GMT
If you know what you want or need, it does seem much easier these days to order online. Our area is overrun with traffic from the shale gas boom and just driving around is hard, let alone searching store to store for what you want.
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Post by sawmilljim on May 2, 2015 14:28:26 GMT
Another thing that ticks me is if a store has to order something for you how is that being there when I need them ? Last night I ordered body shop supplies off the internet . I checked every local place around here ,they had sandpaper in five sheets to a pack for up to $7.25. I bought on line a pack of 50 sheets for $24.95 now all total I spent over $150.00 while I was at it .
I don't mind supporting local but I don't want to feel like I am paying all their expenses for the entire month every time I go through their door either. And don't get me started by telling me you can order it for me because you are out of that item because so can I and it comes to the house .
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 19:23:35 GMT
I buy all of the parts for our hot tub online. It's just easier because of tub is a older model, and the dealers only stock parts for new models.
Most recently, I ordered a lint trap for the dryer. Some place called HVAC360.com had the trap for $10.10 shipped. Sears.com had the same thing for $36 + shipping. Granted, The one from sears was probably a Maytag brand and the one I got was the generic model.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 21:19:09 GMT
...Napa...priced the belt at $16&change and said I could pick it up tomorrow evening after it comes in. I thought this was a bit high so I got on amazon....ordered 2 belts for $6 and change each + shipping. To my door,one day later $17.79. ...Napa...will have maybe $10 in the belt by the time it gets to me and are making an extra $7 for the sale. I can't see how local shops will ever compete for your money without be specialized. The world is poised to go completely to big box stores or internet sales for general merchandise and locals are on their way out. Wade I hope you called NAPA back and cancelled your order so they weren’t out the money to get the part that you didn’t take after all. The extra $7 may go toward paying for your community. Everyone has a community whether you live in the country or not. I haven’t heard of Amazon pitching in for every school club/class project that local businesses are tapped for regularly, and I haven’t seen Amazon providing Sales Tax revenue for any street maintenance around here. I have to agree with you that the locals are on their way out. Local brick and mortar shops will soon be a thing of the past. The buildings are turning into really big run-down storage sheds. It’s happening in about every town around, and even some cities. When the stores are all closed, how is the local community going to keep up the infrastructure that the on-line shoppers need, like roads and things without Sales Taxes? Other taxes? Who’s going to chip in to sponsor the local school club/class fund-raisers? CD in Oklahoma |
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Post by feather on May 3, 2015 21:45:38 GMT
Reminds me of earlier times when every household had a Sears catalog, which later was used in the outhouse. We used to page through the catalog to find things we wanted for Christmas.
Or during Little House on the Prairie, the Olsen's store didn't carry everything but they had a catalog for people to order things they didn't carry. Amazon/online shops are just like those catalogs. We are in a new time, repeating what has happened in older times. (whether it is due to gas prices, time constraints, or overhead, it's the same)
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Post by oldmania on May 3, 2015 21:51:58 GMT
Folks here were upset when Walmart opened because the little "Mom and Pop" stores closed. Truth was, those stores were over priced and under supplied. One variety type store had new clothes that were yellowed with age and had been out of style for 20 years. I was glad to be able to buy necessities at good prices without traveling 50 miles. So I guess now, shopping Walmart is "buying local."
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 22:31:24 GMT
...earlier times ...every household had a Sears catalog.... ... Little House on the Prairie, the Olsen's store...had a catalog for people to order things... Amazon/online shops are just like those catalogs. We are in a new time, repeating what has happened in older times..... Sears also had a large number of retail stores and “catalog stores” spread around to make it possible to bring larger items into your vicinity for you to “pick-up locally”. And if there was a problem with your item, they could make an exchange and send the wrong item back on the next Sears truck going back empty, saving the buyer the expense of return shipping. Olsen’s Store on Little House on the Prairie, of course, was mythical, but we all get what you’re referring to as the early retail stores. But keep in mind that early retail stores received a mark-up on the item that they ordered for you. They had to, to keep them in business. They provided the service to “get things for you”, and were compensated for that service. That’s what stores have always been about. And don’t forget, they often gave the item to the buyer on credit and carried the note for a very long time for back in those days. Does Amazon offer time payments? The early stores also regularly bartered with local buyers to help get them what they needed. The next time that you buy something from Amazon, tell them that you don’t have any money, and ask them if you can pay them with a dozen fresh farm eggs or an alteration of their bib overalls when they need it. Or better yet, tell them that you’ll pay them after the harvest is over if you get a good wheat crop, otherwise, it’ll be next year..... CD in Oklahoma |
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Post by feather on May 3, 2015 22:45:48 GMT
...earlier times ...every household had a Sears catalog.... ... Little House on the Prairie, the Olsen's store...had a catalog for people to order things... Amazon/online shops are just like those catalogs. We are in a new time, repeating what has happened in older times..... And don’t forget, they often gave the item to the buyer on credit and carried the note for a very long time for back in those days. Does Amazon offer time payments? The early stores also regularly bartered with local buyers to help get them what they needed. The next time that you buy something from Amazon, tell them that you don’t have any money, and ask them if you can pay them with a dozen fresh farm eggs or an alteration of their bib overalls when they need it. Or better yet, tell them that you’ll pay them after the harvest is over if you get a good wheat crop, otherwise, it’ll be next year..... CD in Oklahoma Olsen's might be myth but most small towns in the mid-west had a general store. Oh I hear you. Yeah Amazon has a credit card for people that don't have money until the next harvest. I'm sure they wouldn't accept barter! I do love barter and we do quite a bit of it here. |
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 23:00:18 GMT
....when Walmart opened...the little "Mom and Pop" stores closed. ...those stores were over priced and under supplied. ...I guess now, shopping Walmart is "buying local." Yes, many small Mom & Pop stores ended up closing their shops when Walmart came to their town. The same thing happened when Montgomery Ward and Sears came to town years before that. When a small retailer that had been filling a need to the community by retailing products that a chain store could provide cheaper, the small retailer usually went under. I have to admit that I’m as guilty of driving small retailers out of business as anyone else over the years. When Walmart started out, I switched to Walmart just like most of the rest of America. It’s all about the money. I didn’t want to (and couldn’t) spend any more than I had to for my stuff. So, for a long time, I bought at Walmart. Then, the quality went downhill. I pretty much quit Walmart when Mr. Walton passed on. But I still say, buy as cheap as you can, but keep your community in mind when you do. I would agree that buying from Walmart is about as close to “buying local” as you can get these days. So was buying from Wards Stores and Sears Stores in years past. As in the past, these stores provide employment for family and friends, collect and submit Sales Taxes to maintain the community, and is part of the community. On the other hand, on-line sellers don’t provide very many of those benefits to your community. CD in Oklahoma |
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 23:04:54 GMT
Oh I hear you. Yeah Amazon has a credit card for people that don't have money until the next harvest. I'm sure they wouldn't accept barter! Do you happen to know what the interest rate is on the Amazon Credit Card? (Just curious) CD in Oklahoma |
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 23:08:31 GMT
And I forgot to ask, can you wait for 6-7 months before having to make a payment on an Amazon Credit Card, or do the payments start next month like all of the other credit cards?
CD in Oklahoma
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Post by feather on May 3, 2015 23:13:39 GMT
Do you happen to know what the interest rate is on the Amazon Credit Card? (Just curious) CD in Oklahoma 1/2 your alfalfa cutting due at cutting time.  13.24% I looked it up for ya. I've never paid any interest. I'm pretty sure you have to make payments starting with the next month. |
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 23:29:02 GMT
The way that I see things, is that we’re all going to keep on buying on-line. I do it, and so do most other people. It’s getting to be about the only way that we can get what we want these days.
The problem that I see with it, is that it won’t be long until we won’t be able to get much unless we order it “shipped in”. There won’t be any retail stores to go buy it from, and have it right now, no matter how much money that you have to spend. I won’t bore you with my thoughts on “just in time” marketing that we’ve all been through for the past years. In my experience, it’s just danged near “just in time”, but not quite.
So, we end up having everything shipped to our doorstep. Sounds handy enough, but don’t you think that the shipping companies are smelling blood about now? If we have to depend on having everything shipped to us, what’s to keep the shipping companies from capitalizing on it? They’ll have us over a barrel. It could be one of those “you want it - you’re going to have to pay for it” kind of situations. Look around, since the concept of “just in time” material management, there is very little inventory resting nearby to fill orders. The recent shipping strike on the west coast gave many businesses a taste of “what if we can’t get it just in time”? They didn’t, and some went under because of it.
If we don’t want to pay for the cost of what we want to set on a shelf until we’re ready for it, we may have to pay for not having it at all....
Buy from the local store that’s trying to have what you want, when you want it, and make a buck or two while they’re doing it.
CD in Oklahoma
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Post by Callie on May 4, 2015 0:15:02 GMT
I don't expect local shops to sell me something cheaper than I can get it from big businesses. I accept that it will be higher priced and I pay the price when I can. I try to get all my farming stuff locally. Clothing, not so much. Electronic gadgets-not so much. Most of our farming adventures need to come with specific instructions- Big Businesses don't do that for us. Smaller local companies do - and I feel like that's part of the price I am paying. I can see what's going to happen to them but I don't like it. There are times when you need that part now- not next week when it can be delivered.
I shop mostly at a smaller grocery store that's local. I actually spend a lot less money there though most prices on individual items are higher than the WalMart stores around. There is so much at WM that I just don't need but it feels nice to buy it. I do much more impulse buying at WM also. There's much less to chose from at the local store. It works for me. And, I'm making good friends and connections locally.
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Post by sawmilljim on May 4, 2015 2:04:59 GMT
Other thing I have noticed about most of our local stores like that car primer I want ,you got very few choices .Next they act like they are doing you a favor by selling it to you . Now I get it we aren't in a high population area .I called a online paint Co and the nice person said if they couldn't answer my questions they would put the chemist or the owner on the phone . None of that happening local you can bet Granny's old grey goat on that .
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2015 14:34:31 GMT
Hi all,
I am a little disappointed with the sentiment expressed in this thread. Sure there are things that I buy on line, mostly gifts for the grand children...
However, my wife and I have owned a Hardware Store in a small town in NW Ohio for 36 years (I have been working here for 49 years). We are successful and feel we have been, and continue to be a real asset to the community. I believe our business continues to grow because we offer a good value to our customers. When you need a 6" piece of 1/2" copper to repair that broken water line, we not only sell you the pipe, we make sure you have everything you need to complete the job when you leave. You can't get that "on line".
So the next time you need a bolt to fix your lawn mower, or an outlet to replace the one that just burned out, think about how important your local "Mom & Pop" stores are to you.
I guess I'm the last of a "dying breed"...
Keith
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Post by feather on May 4, 2015 16:47:07 GMT
Hardwareman, our closest town is small, we used to have a hardware store, and we frequented it often but that was over 15 years ago already! I'd love to have small businesses here but the few left are under stocked and over priced. I don't mean a little over priced. I'd easily pay extra for good service. That is something I value.
I doubt anyone wants to have to order online but without a good hardware store we have to drive and drive. It's a practical matter of driving/gas/wear and tear on the car or paying for shipping (and zero service value). So take heart that you do run a hardware business and can offer value and stay in business.
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Post by 1shotwade on May 4, 2015 17:55:59 GMT
I will probably get my foot in my mouth here before i get my point across. I'm pretty good at that but here goes.Growing up there was a hardware or general store in every little burg around here. And I mean little.Populations of 150 would have a store and a gas station. They couldn't stay in business because everyone had to travel for a job when living in this area all there was for work was farming.If you needed something at 8 or 10 pm,you could call and they'd meet you at the store and you could fix your problem that night.If it could wait 'till tomorrow you'd pick up the part while in town on the job.The local price was higher but worth it 'cause you knew each other and could count on getting what you really needed right then.
As the small town store owners got to the age of retiring or dying off no one stepped up to take their place 'cause the books didn't show enough profit to make it worth investing in so you had to drive 12 miles to a hardware store that would not consider staying open after 5pm. That's an hour before we would get home from working in the city.They were good for saturday sales until people found out they were giving contractors 40% off on a regular basis.But the individual had to pay about 50% or higher of what they could get the part at ace hardware 20 miles away.So they pretty much ran themselves out of business alto they are still there doing business with just about contractors only except for new folks that moved in not knowing their history.
The ace 20 miles away did a good business even when in competition with ford lumber,wolf heating and air supply and burris electric.Ace had just about everything you'd need and great service.There just wasn't anyone in direct competition with him and he kept his prices reasonable.Glen owned and operated the store for 35 years and did well enough to open two more stores in other towns that were equally as good.Then came lowes.Glens store took a hit of about 30% originally but after the new wore off of lowes his business rebounded and was only down about a total of 10%.About the 3rd year of lowes being in he went ahead and retired and sold the stores because the books looked good.The new owners however didn't pay attention to the customer base and gave poor service and were somewhat rude so their business went down hill fast.They raised their prices and wasn't even close to lowes prices whereas Glen was always close. He always got a little more but you didn't leave his store feeling like you had just been had.Not so with the new guys.
Since these times we have added a TSC an Orchilens and now are left with a dingy little ace hardware that now longer looks fresh and clean,has high prices,rude clerks very little product,very little product knowledge and no community connections.Nobody hardly bothers with them. If you can't get what you want local when you need it,it's not worth running around to 6 different places trying to find something when you can order it online and be back sipping coffee before you could get to the first store to start with.
I have no doubt that if Glen would have kept his stores they would all be doing fine right now because he knew the people and the needs of the customer.You just felt like you were in a friends house when in his store.It's all about how well you can deal with the public. A big box store is going to hurt your sales but how you react to it will make the difference between a little less sales and bankruptcy.It's a lot like preachers. Some are called to preach and others are just in it as a job. You can always tell who you are dealing with.
(No offense intended here so sorry if I stomped on any toes)
Wade
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Post by Ozarks Tom on May 4, 2015 21:36:09 GMT
Wade, you hit the nail on the head. In all cases, not just some, it comes down to how the store is run. A successful small business treats every customer like they're the only customer. Passing on product knowledge, helping with decisions, keeping up with trends and colors, and just being generally helpful eases the pain of a little higher pricing. Taking customers for granted will put you out of business in a hurry.
Years ago, in the wood flooring business, I'd tell customers I'd spent 25+ years learning everything I could about wood flooring. I wasn't there to talk them out of anything, but part of the profit they were paying me included my knowledge and experience. I'd put cardboard down if they demanded it, but first I was going to tell them about options that I'd found more suitable for their needs. I can't count the number of really dark, or white floors I didn't do that customers initially thought they wanted. Ever seen a dark wood floor in a house with a white dog?
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Post by sawmilljim on May 5, 2015 1:33:46 GMT
Well Tom on the + side they shouldn't lose it
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 19:36:47 GMT
...Napa...priced the belt at $16&change and said I could pick it up tomorrow evening after it comes in. I thought this was a bit high so I got on amazon....ordered 2 belts for $6 and change each + shipping. To my door,one day later $17.79. ...Napa...will have maybe $10 in the belt by the time it gets to me and are making an extra $7 for the sale. I can't see how local shops will ever compete for your money without be specialized. The world is poised to go completely to big box stores or internet sales for general merchandise and locals are on their way out. Wade I hope you called NAPA back and cancelled your order so they weren’t out the money to get the part that you didn’t take after all. The extra $7 may go toward paying for your community. Everyone has a community whether you live in the country or not. I haven’t heard of Amazon pitching in for every school club/class project that local businesses are tapped for regularly, and I haven’t seen Amazon providing Sales Tax revenue for any street maintenance around here. I have to agree with you that the locals are on their way out. Local brick and mortar shops will soon be a thing of the past. The buildings are turning into really big run-down storage sheds. It’s happening in about every town around, and even some cities. When the stores are all closed, how is the local community going to keep up the infrastructure that the on-line shoppers need, like roads and things without Sales Taxes? Other taxes? Who’s going to chip in to sponsor the local school club/class fund-raisers? CD in Oklahoma Its simple actually. The county assessor drives by your place and triples the assessment because you have a new mail box. |
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 20:01:47 GMT
I went to a local farm supply store that is slowly losing out. I ask the clerk about some seed they had and they didn't have any idea. If I can't get information on what they have, I'll just go somewhere else and pay less and understand what I'm buying. I don't much go there anymore.
Another small business place refused to take back their off the shelf unused new in the package product. That has cost them $50 min sales every month ($600) annually) to say nothing of a particular machine I will no longer buy from them. Over the course of say 5 years it cost them about a $1,000 in additional sales. I want a new chain saw which is a major outlay of money for me they also won't get. So I bought the same saw at another small retailer for 25% less.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 22:11:08 GMT
I suppose you were just being sarcastic, but if a new mailbox triples your assessment, I’d say you were getting by too cheap to begin with.
Like I said, I agree that Mom & Pop Shops like mine (and others) may not be the cheapest retail outlet that you can find. I also believe that Mom and Pop Shops are soon going to be a thing of the past, at least in rural America. My wife and I will one day close our little fabric and sewing shop and stay home. It’s not going to be a problem for anyone except folks that don’t want to drive 45 minutes one-way to get their sewing things, or don’t want to wait a day or two until it can be shipped to them. I doubt that the City, County, or State will even miss the little dab of Sales Tax that we submit monthly.
But it’s ok, we’ve seen this coming. We’ll turn the shop into a storage unit like most of the shops on our street already are being used. The shop building itself won’t be anything that we’ll be able to market to new owners anyway due to the age of the shop and the location. Plus, we read in the paper this week that our town has become part of the “National Main Street Program”, so that will probably make very few folks want to buy our building to continue our shop or start their own little shop of some kind. We’ve had a “Downtown Beautification Committee” for a long time, but we’ve been able to avoid having to spend much money on our shop for their “beautification projects” through the years. But now, with a national push behind them, and a couple of out-of-town building owners with the where-with-all to make major renovations deemed necessary, we’re sure that we’ll be having some “experts in design” (what they called them in the paper) come by and visit with us in the near future. The “experts in design” are free of charge, but what they’ll want us to do with our shop is probably not. We’ve been saving up to just get our roof fixed again after nine years (flat roof) and we still aren’t there.
We’re already saddled with a 9.5% Sales Tax while the towns around us are at an average of about 8.25%. The only exception to that is a little “ghost town” nearby that is now collecting 10%. A little Mom & Pop grocery store, a Quick Stop, and a couple of one-horse Antique/Junk Shops is about all that is there now. And to make matters worse, groceries in Texas just across the river bridge has no Sales Tax at all.
Everybody has to get by some way, and that means that everybody has to have money coming in to pay for what they need. And I can understand that everyone wants to get by as cheaply as possible, but is a little Mom & Pop Sewing Shop, or a little Mom & Pop Hardware Store not worthy of being considered within the term of “Homesteader” or “part of us” here on this board?
CD in Oklahoma
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2015 1:58:18 GMT
I suppose you were just being sarcastic, but if a new mailbox triples your assessment, I’d say you were getting by too cheap to begin with. Like I said, I agree that Mom & Pop Shops like mine (and others) may not be the cheapest retail outlet that you can find. I also believe that Mom and Pop Shops are soon going to be a thing of the past, at least in rural America. My wife and I will one day close our little fabric and sewing shop and stay home. It’s not going to be a problem for anyone except folks that don’t want to drive 45 minutes one-way to get their sewing things, or don’t want to wait a day or two until it can be shipped to them. I doubt that the City, County, or State will even miss the little dab of Sales Tax that we submit monthly. But it’s ok, we’ve seen this coming. We’ll turn the shop into a storage unit like most of the shops on our street already are being used. The shop building itself won’t be anything that we’ll be able to market to new owners anyway due to the age of the shop and the location. Plus, we read in the paper this week that our town has become part of the “National Main Street Program”, so that will probably make very few folks want to buy our building to continue our shop or start their own little shop of some kind. We’ve had a “Downtown Beautification Committee” for a long time, but we’ve been able to avoid having to spend much money on our shop for their “beautification projects” through the years. But now, with a national push behind them, and a couple of out-of-town building owners with the where-with-all to make major renovations deemed necessary, we’re sure that we’ll be having some “experts in design” (what they called them in the paper) come by and visit with us in the near future. The “experts in design” are free of charge, but what they’ll want us to do with our shop is probably not. We’ve been saving up to just get our roof fixed again after nine years (flat roof) and we still aren’t there. We’re already saddled with a 9.5% Sales Tax while the towns around us are at an average of about 8.25%. The only exception to that is a little “ghost town” nearby that is now collecting 10%. A little Mom & Pop grocery store, a Quick Stop, and a couple of one-horse Antique/Junk Shops is about all that is there now. And to make matters worse, groceries in Texas just across the river bridge has no Sales Tax at all. Everybody has to get by some way, and that means that everybody has to have money coming in to pay for what they need. And I can understand that everyone wants to get by as cheaply as possible, but is a little Mom & Pop Sewing Shop, or a little Mom & Pop Hardware Store not worthy of being considered within the term of “Homesteader” or “part of us” here on this board? CD in Oklahoma Maybe a little on the mail box. My assessment increase 6 times on one drive by assessment simply because there was a mail box. We had a little chat.
The problem seems to be citiots will come out here and pay some ridiculous price for a small acreage simply because they can afford the payments.
The local school wanted a 30% tax hike. We said no.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2015 2:12:50 GMT
I will probably get my foot in my mouth here before i get my point across. I'm pretty good at that but here goes.Growing up there was a hardware or general store in every little burg around here. And I mean little.Populations of 150 would have a store and a gas station. They couldn't stay in business because everyone had to travel for a job when living in this area all there was for work was farming.If you needed something at 8 or 10 pm,you could call and they'd meet you at the store and you could fix your problem that night.If it could wait 'till tomorrow you'd pick up the part while in town on the job.The local price was higher but worth it 'cause you knew each other and could count on getting what you really needed right then. As the small town store owners got to the age of retiring or dying off no one stepped up to take their place 'cause the books didn't show enough profit to make it worth investing in so you had to drive 12 miles to a hardware store that would not consider staying open after 5pm. That's an hour before we would get home from working in the city.They were good for saturday sales until people found out they were giving contractors 40% off on a regular basis.But the individual had to pay about 50% or higher of what they could get the part at ace hardware 20 miles away.So they pretty much ran themselves out of business alto they are still there doing business with just about contractors only except for new folks that moved in not knowing their history. The ace 20 miles away did a good business even when in competition with ford lumber,wolf heating and air supply and burris electric.Ace had just about everything you'd need and great service.There just wasn't anyone in direct competition with him and he kept his prices reasonable.Glen owned and operated the store for 35 years and did well enough to open two more stores in other towns that were equally as good.Then came lowes.Glens store took a hit of about 30% originally but after the new wore off of lowes his business rebounded and was only down about a total of 10%.About the 3rd year of lowes being in he went ahead and retired and sold the stores because the books looked good.The new owners however didn't pay attention to the customer base and gave poor service and were somewhat rude so their business went down hill fast.They raised their prices and wasn't even close to lowes prices whereas Glen was always close. He always got a little more but you didn't leave his store feeling like you had just been had.Not so with the new guys. Since these times we have added a TSC an Orchilens and now are left with a dingy little ace hardware that now longer looks fresh and clean,has high prices,rude clerks very little product,very little product knowledge and no community connections.Nobody hardly bothers with them. If you can't get what you want local when you need it,it's not worth running around to 6 different places trying to find something when you can order it online and be back sipping coffee before you could get to the first store to start with. I have no doubt that if Glen would have kept his stores they would all be doing fine right now because he knew the people and the needs of the customer.You just felt like you were in a friends house when in his store.It's all about how well you can deal with the public. A big box store is going to hurt your sales but how you react to it will make the difference between a little less sales and bankruptcy.It's a lot like preachers. Some are called to preach and others are just in it as a job. You can always tell who you are dealing with. (No offense intended here so sorry if I stomped on any toes) Wade I think you made a very good point. |
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Post by here to stay on May 11, 2015 2:22:21 GMT
My experience with buying local- I used to shop at a little store near work. The man stocked with household items much to my taste and I could almost always find some kitchen gaget or dish that appealed to me. And he usually had enough time to chat or make a recommendation or do a special order. And he gift wrapped free and would package and ship for you. I got so I would simply go there to get a gift for everyone. It was not that I couldn't have found a better price but that he made shopping a joy. Convenient and fun.
Unfortunately he got sick and had to close. And I still miss his shop and him.
Another place was a long time auto parts place where I could stop and the people at the desk would figure out for me what I meant by 'the little do-hickey that holds the air filter in place" or some such nonsense. So I always went there. They retired and closed. Now I take pot luck at one of the franchised parts stores. Luckily the internet is avaiable to help me find the name and part number in advance.
Too many local places these days are not interested in building a relationship over small purchases that lead to loyalty on bigger things. They treat people, and frankly people expect to be treated and respond that way, as if this was a computer interchange anyway. As if the next person in line is certainly more important than the one with them now. But no more quick little jokes or comments.
And I agree that a sales tax of nearly 10% is a real discouragement.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2015 3:46:59 GMT
Well no one wants to work for peanuts, and local,state and feds want their say and a cut from all involved.
I've know people that made 100,000 of thousands gross to net a fraction once said and done.
Thats the reason mom and pops are scarce, its not worth the effort.
Juggle employees that don't care, take all the anxiety,worry and work they don't ever see or feel.
Mean while pad every one elses pocket except yours, well your the only one really risking anything.
Easier to be that employee, or tap your benefits.
Such as dump said bushiness and live a easy life on your savings and any profit from its sale.
And everyone else wonders why there are no jobs and taxes through the roof, well there ya go.
But the problems a bit deeper then that,the pies is only so big.
Every one automatically points out cheap overseas labor and lack of cost prohibitive controls and regulation.
Thats true and a factor, but think of how much money gets siphoned from local economy by credit cards,check fees,payday loans,Bank fees in general.
do not forget merchant fees. monthly POS fee and 3-5% on total sales.
How many Banks have you seen close the doors?
That is just day to day business,but if you want to make a major purchase well you need a loan with finance fees and monthly interest.
Imagine how much money would be circulating with out all that?
Not to mention the slow robbery of anything you may be able to hang onto through Inflation and Taxation.
I know bit of a tirade but a few bucks extra for service and some one that pays towards the same things I do,actually more as a small buisnes, and help others to do the same through employment... I'm ok with.
I'm a smoker and talking with one guy when they jacked up tax on cigarettes,he did not seem to get it.
I started smoking a pack of marlboros where 25-30 cents, I roll my own now.
A bag costs me seven and 3 bucks for the papers.
Here is what he did not get, ya smoking is a bad habit, my right to do so though, in doing so the Farmers get jobs,the guys supplying equipment and supplies to said farmers get jobs,the tobacco barns and brokers and auctioneers and tobacco companies,and retailers plus the guys that ship it in between have Jobs, and they in turn can walk in to mr clueless something giving him a job.
I do not believe in trickle down but I do believe in domino effect.
I almost think we should be singing ring around the posie as the national anthem.
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Post by Rustaholic on May 12, 2015 0:59:29 GMT
You may have read the thread by Trellis about trying to buy local. It's really hard to do anymore.I try but "come on"! I picked up a used chipper last fall. Luckily I came with extra belts.being this is my first experience with one I went thru a couple belts just learning the limitations of the machine.I needed to have a spare on hand so I called Napa,the closest auto parts store,12 miles away. They priced the belt at $16&change and said I could pick it up tomorrow evening after it comes in. I thought this was a bit high so I got on amazon. Sure 'nuff! I ordered 2 belts for $6 and change each + shipping. To my door,one day later $17.79. Sure beats Napa's$16 & change,plus the long distance phone call,plus sales tax ,plus 1 1/2 gallons of gas,plus extra time and wear on my vehicle! How then can you possibly buy local anymore. If i can get the belt for $6 + I know Napa can. If I can get it shipped for $4 and change I know napa can. So they will have maybe $10 in the belt by the time it gets to me and are making an extra $7 for the sale. I can't see how local shops will ever compete for your money without be specialized. The world is poised to go completely to big box stores or internet sales for general merchandise and locals are on their way out. Wade
I am certain they will not be hurt much at all by the new Tractor Supply here.
Baling twine is just such a simple item but if the local store can sell it to me for $47 I will never buy it from Tractor Supply for over $70.
The family that runs the store started as a farm producing bagged feed that is still sold in other feed stores but you can buy it for less right from them. They offer a nice hardware section and LPG gas refills cost less than they do in town. I would guess they are 1 1/4 miles from me here so travel is even less. |
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