It's become clear that it's never been more important to shop local. With the threat of not just one, but two Walmart Neighborhood Markets making their way seemingly unobstructed into Altadena, it's time to step up education on why we need our local shops. This poster, provided by the lovely folks at The American Independent Business Alliance, give you the facts. Walmart gives you fantasy. As our friends at Main And Me portray in this poster, this could be your shopping experience in our lovely town someday soon:
However you view the situation, we always advise shopping with your local merchants. After all, is Walmart going to buy your kids' school fundraisers? Will they support the local Little League team? Sure, they'll throw some money at local non-profits, but what about our Library? Will they support them in a sustainable way? I think not. Let us end with this poster, also from Main and Me, and remember - we have Friends Of The Altadena Library canvas tote-bags and Altadena Library District tee-shirts for sale at the store and the Library gets 100% of sales!*
Thanks for listening, my friends, we'll talk again next week!
Lori and Scott
*We also have items from Christmas Tree Lane available and they get 75% of net sales!
I used to go out quite a lot,
chase to chase and shot to shot.
I'm all done with that somehow,
and it's your town now.
These days the mighty eagle sings,
of money and material things,
and the almighty Dow,
and it's your town now,
your town now,
it's--
From the mountains to the plains
all the towns are wrapped in chains,
and the little that the law allows,
and it's your town now,
it's your town now,
it's--
Where are the young bands gonna play?
Where're the old beatniks gonna stay,
and not before some corporation bow?
and it's your town now,
it's your town now,
it's--
So be careful everyone,
Cops can get careless with their guns.
And then they slip off somehow,
and it's your town now,
it's your town now,
it's--
You young ones it's up to you
to fight the fight and I hope you do,
Oh I see in your eyes that you know how
and it's your town now
your town now.
Don't let 'em take the whole damn deal,
Don't give up on what you really feel.
Ah, the small and local must survive somehow,
if it's gonna be your town now.
Is it gonna be your town now?
Is it gonna be your town now?
Is it gonna be? ----Greg Brown
My mother taught me long, long ago to not say anything at all if I had nothing nice to say. So, I put myself on a two week blogging exile. I've been so overwhelmed with the negative that I was afraid to put pen to paper....ummm....keyboard to screen....oh heck, you know what I mean. But I'm overjoyed to be back with a more positive outlook, and, hopefully, I can convey what I have to say without being overly dark and depressing.
In this week's post, I'd like to talk about this article in the Washington Monthly, written by Barry C. Lynn and Lina Khan, and its relevance to the song captioned above. In the article they describe the fact that American entrepreneurship has fallen off precipitously in recent years, and opine the reason for that drop. Here's a sample, actually the final paragraph of the article:
"Indeed, the decline of small business documented here appears to confirm
that the great social experiment undertaken a generation ago—when we
allowed our government to cease enforcement of our antimonopoly laws—has
had a devastating effect not only on our democracy but also on the
ability of ordinary Americans to build their assets and move up the
socioeconomic ladder through enterprise. The loss of job creation that
comes with the hollowing out of America’s entrepreneurial sector also
goes a long way toward explaining why American businesses were creating
fewer and fewer jobs even before the Great Recession hit. The founding
generation was right: as America’s entrepreneurs go, so goes America’s
prosperity and democracy. If we are ever to recapture the promise of
this land, we must first break down the great powers that crush the
individual citizen’s initiative and ability to create and build what is
new and better."
We need our entrepreneurial sector to be able to create more and better jobs. Without that, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or some would say, between RiteAid and Walmart. I'd like you to re-read the words to the song that opens this post. Is this what we want for our town? Some would have you believe that yes, this is what we want. I, and a growing number of people whom I speak with daily are saying NO. No to the large corporations, no to the chains, no to dead-end jobs that go nowhere. It doesn't matter if you're reading this and don't live in Altadena. Something like this can, and probably has, happened where you live. There's a radical push to open more and more big-box "urban" model stores that are local-washed to fit in your community, but really are just a wolf in sheep's clothing. Now is the time to say no, not in our neighborhood, not in our town!
Our locally-owned, independent businesses and our local start-ups need your support now more than ever before. Be a part of the change in your community and start a movement to bring your local businesses to the attention of its residents. Webster's Fine Stationers is proud to have started such a movement here in Altadena by investing in other local businesses. We also love that we feature businesses other than ours in our social media campaigns. If you're asking what you can do in your neck of the woods, here are some suggestions. Start an independent business alliance if you're a small business owner or, if you don't have the funds to do that, ask your Chamber of Commerce. Do they have a Independent Merchants Committee? If they don't, suggest they form one and volunteer to be on it. If you're a concerned citizen, start a cash mob for your local businesses. We've done this in Altadena and it's working out very well. Petition your City or Town Councils to keep chain businesses out and to help foster independently owned small business ventures. The more active we are in our communities, the better we all get along and it's a good feeling to know that we're working toward sustainability, local self reliance and autonomy.
Without the support of the communities across the nation, our independent businesses will be eaten alive by the encroachment of huge corporations. With no local businesses, a community will wither - property values decrease, individuality lost and nothing left to differentiate it from any other. Is that what we want? Is that your town now?
For our local readers, see SaveAltadena.com on the net and SaveAltadena on Facebook for news, meeting times and other information.
Talk to you next week, friends, and until then, be well and happy.
I love Sundays. We close the store earlier on Sundays - at 5:00 in the afternoon, so if there's not a lot of traffic, we can get home and relax a little. Whether or not we actually do relax is another story. You know there's always something to do, like wash the car or the clothes. Scott's out back right now, mowing the little patch of grass in the dark. I wonder what it'll look like in the daylight, or maybe the ambient light from the house was enough to see. It'll probably be fine, though, because Scott is funny like that and has an almost uncanny ability to see things other people don't see.
There's a lot to be said about that type of ability, but I imagine sometimes it can be frustrating. If we put it into the context of what's happening in Altadena today, I can tell you he's verklempt. He's having a hard time understanding why our town, usually so adamant about not letting in large stores, is seemingly embracing the idea of our newest proposed neighbor, a Walmart Neighborhood Store. I'm wondering why as well. We know the history of this corporation, yet some folks are expecting them to be different this time. Isn't that a quote from Albert Einstein? The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing and expecting different results.
What Scott sees happening is our independent stores being slowly squeezed out, creating more trouble than there was in the first place, without Walmart, and I agree with him. This is a familiar argument, one that's been voiced all across the US, so much so that people here seem to tune out. Maybe it's just a Southern California thing, this ennui. No big deal, right? Maybe is isn't and maybe it is, but as one commenter on the most recent story on the situation in our local newsblogs put it, "now's the time for the mom and pops in town to get it together" (paraphrased for brevity). I agree with that as well! As much as we can, after slogging through this recession and so-called recovery, I call on all of us small business people to "get it together"!
See what's happening in your town - don't be a turtle, don't lose interest, don't think that it won't affect you. We all need to become more involved, more supportive and care more about what happens here in Altadena. Let's talk about it - start now and start here at SaveAltadena.com.
Have an excellent week ahead, my friends, and we'll talk again next week!
Protest Against WalMart's Entry Into LA's Chinatown, June 30, 2012
Since the news broke recently that WalMart will be introducing their Neighborhood Store model to the corner of Lincoln and Figueroa in Altadena, there have been debates pro and con raging on the local news blogs and on the street. I assume you know where we stand in the matter. Our opinion hasn't wavered since this blog's inception almost 5 years ago and won't waver now - I do not believe the addition of a WalMart store of any size will benefit this town.
WalMart Neighborhood Markets are a smaller-sized "localized grocery market" that inserts themselves into previously zoned, permitted and empty storefronts. I have seen Steven V. Restivo's, (WalMart's Senior Director of Community Affairs), piece on HufPo, dated June 29, 2012, which defends their decision to move into Los Angeles and its environs. In it, he starts out by maligning Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy's (LAANE) for their stance against a WalMart Neighborhood Market in Chinatown. He uses WalMart's tired old adage "after all, protests don't employ people, but new stores do."
Good Jobs, Not WalMart Jobs
I've heard that many people in the West Altadena area are eagerly awaiting this new WalMart. If that's the case, I haven't heard it from any of the people I know or come across on a daily basis that live in the vicinity. Quite contrary, in fact - the people I've talked to aren't looking forward to it at all. Many are worried about will happen to the other markets, like SuperKing and Baja Ranch - and rightly so. In Mr. Restivo's article, he states, "In these challenging economic times, private sector companies have a
responsibility to work with local stakeholders in a given community to
ensure residents and business both benefit. We're engaging with
communities here to better understand the unique challenges they face
and how our stores might play a role in the solution." Let me show you how a WalMart Neighborhood Market "engages with their communities" and would NOT benefit our ours:
In the study "The Impact of an Urban Wal-Mart Store on Area Businesses: An Evaluation of One Chicago Neighborhood’s Experience" (Research report prepared and published by the Center for Urban Research and Learning, Loyola University Chicago), a key finding is that the probability of going out of business during the study period (2006-2008) was significantly higher for establishments close to the Wal-Mart location. The basic sample followed 306 enterprises, 82 of which went out of business over the study period. It also states that "based on the estimated relationship between probability of store closings and proximity to Wal-Mart, the research team estimates that Wal-Mart’s opening has resulted in the loss of about 300 full-time equivalent jobs in its own and nearby zip codes." The study further states that "they suggest a loss about equal to Wal-Mart’s own addition to employment in the area. These estimates support the contention that large-city Wal-Marts absorb retail sales from other city stores without significantly expanding the market." *
"In addition to the surveys of West Side establishments, the research team obtained sales tax data from the Illinois Department of Revenue. These data from 2000 through 2008 are used to estimate quarterly taxable sales for the Wal-Mart zip code (60639) and neighboring zip codes. A trend analysis is performed for each zip code. In each case, the question is whether trends in sales changed after the Wal-Mart opening. For Wal-Mart’s own zip code, 60639, there is no evidence of an overall upturn in sales. Indeed, if the sample is limited to the six quarters (18 months) before and after Wal-Mart opened there is a significant decline in the trend of zip code sales. For this same period, zip code 60651, the closest neighbor to the Wal-Mart zip code, also shows a significant negative break-in-trend as does zip code 60622."
Friday, June 29th Save Altadena meeting at WS - photo courtesy of Altadenablog
Both of these findings seem to conflict with Mr. Restivo's statement of "communities always prefer a vibrant storefront over an abandoned
building and our stores will generate tax revenue for the city and
county while also serving as a magnet for growth and development in each
community. From restaurants, salons, banks, and florists to bookstores,
specialty grocers and wine & spirits shops, there are dozens of
small business categories that typically surround our stores." Find out what happens when a WalMart does come to town here in the Business News Daily article, and check out this map on anticipated WalMart Neighborhood Market openings across Los Angeles County:
Afraid yet, fellow Altadenans and fellow small business owners? I sure am. Join us as we attempt to educate our townspeople on the value of shopping with local, independent businesses - follow us on our Facebook page or email us at webstersfinestationers@gmail.com for further information.
*WalMart Neighborhood Markets' concept was introduced in Arkansas in 1998 and as of May 2012 there are 199 WNMs across the country. The studies referenced in this post were conducted in Chicago's Westside.
As always, we appreciate your readership - have a great week ahead, my friends!
I’m going to do something that I haven’t ever done on this blog before –
I’ll be reprising one of my posts that I wrote on May 3, 2010. I’m doing this because I thought this post
was prescient, given the circumstances Altadena finds itself in now. However, it’s not going to be a simple cut
and paste job, I’m going to fill it in a bit more, to shape it to what’s
happening now. So hang on, folks, it started off with a snippet of a song about
raising a little hell:
“I never read it in a book,
I never saw it on a show,
but I heard it in the alley
on a weird radio.
If you want a drink of water,
you got to get it from a well,
if you want to get to heaven
you got to raise a little hell......”
----Steve Cash and John Dillon, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, 1973
To me, this song has always been about wanting something enough to fight for
it. It urges us to be vocal about things we care about, maybe make a stir
about what you think is important. Thirty-seven years ago, in 1973, kids
all over the world learned to be vocal about things they cared about and people
started taking notice. Things changed because so many young people
demanded it. Opinions were challenged and mind-sets were changed forever.
As I've said before, time is a circle and what goes around, comes
around . People are again starting to stand up for their core
values, especially when it comes to issues like affordable medical insurance
and state policies on immigration. People are also becoming more
aware about their neighborhoods and local communities, keeping tabs on and
working towards their area's fiscal health. Of course, in this time of
financial uncertainty, it's more important than ever to know where your
community is headed. Now, though, I’m
uncertain exactly where Altadena is headed – the news of the invasion of
WalMart this week has polarized this town and looks to split it right down the
middle.
You can follow the drama on Altadenablog and on AltadenaPatch, on Altadena’s Facebook page, and on our own store’s page. No, I’m not neutral in this debate. I feel very strongly about big-box stores in general and WalMart
in particular, as my readers know. I’d
like to say a word to my out-of-town friends, if I may – tf your town or city
is currently WalMart free, keep it that way. Keep your local independent businesses in business and never let
there be a chink in your armor where they might be able to slip a hook
into. Educate your friends on the value
of shopping locally with independent businesses and make sure they know that’s the
way to their community’s prosperity.
Speaking of big box stores, Greg
Sweet, one of the commenters on the thread on Altadenablog I've linked above,
posted this fabulous
cartoon video from JibJab. Thanks, Greg, for sharing this funny yet
truly sad commentary on this fact of American life.....one I think we can
change with some education.
For you locals, don’t forget about this week’s ACONA meeting, on Tuesday
the 26th of June at the Altadena Public Library on Mariposa at 7:00
pm. Ed Meyers, Daniel Harlow, and I
will be there representing the Chamber of Commerce, and we’ll be discussing the
Visioning meetings, the retail outlook, and the results of last year’s shopping
survey conducted by the COC. Alex from
El Patron will also be speaking, and you won’t want to miss finding out what
makes his restaurant so wildly popular and why no other has been able to survive
there in years. Enjoy the week ahead, my friends and we’ll talk again next week!
The retail pundits have coined a new phrase. We are now living in what they're referring to as the "post-WalMart era". Why are they calling it that, you might wonder, as I did. After conducting a bit of research about the subject, I discovered that WalMart just reported its seventh straight quarter of declining sales in their U.S. stores. Same store sales for 2010 were down .8%. Although .8% isn't a terrible number, it's the cumulative effects of seven consecutive reported losses that gives us clear signal that's all is not well with the retail giant.
Their decline has cleared the field for many other retailers, such as TJ Maxx, Target, Kohl's and Dollar Tree. If you notice, all those names don't include any independent retailers, only corporate-owned big box stores. How will the "decline" of WalMart affect us independents in the immediate and near future? In my humble (or not) opinion, it won't have much of an effect on us at all. Each one of the stores mentioned specializes in discounted merchandise. Independent retailers don't. As I just explained to a customer not 3 minutes ago, when she questioned our $8.99 per ream price for printer paper, we don't get the same buying price as Staples does. We don't get corporate kickbacks or any cooperative benefits for buying products or advertising. We don't have the benefit of large tax loopholes we can rely on to defray our costs. What we do have going for us is the very real and tangible benefits to your community's fiscal health. We do have the ability to help answer your questions when you have one and we have the ability to make the decision to help our local non-profits, should we be asked to. No one at any of those corporate stores mentioned above has that ability at store level. But does that make us a more popular destination than they are? I'm afraid not.
The huge amount of money behind their advertisements practically guarantees them a large market share. Independents generally don't have any way to match that budget, and most can't get anywhere near it. The best that some of us can do in the way of marketing is on the Internet, via vehicles such as Facebook, where very often the only cost is the time & effort put into it. If you work it right, have engaging content and make it a destination by offering something your followers deem valuable, you can gather people that may hear what you have to say. Then, there's always the chance that they won't hear you and there's always the fact that a good percentage of people don't use the internet.
That's what we're faced with here in Altadena. There are many people who either don't have access to a computer or just plain refuse to have anything to do with them. That's when word-of-mouth advertising comes in. We try to rely on positive word-of-mouth to fill the gaps in what our internet-based marketing does, but what do you do when that can't be trusted? Isn't that a scary situation?
Yesterday, I had a phone call from an elderly customer, asking if we were closing. "No", I replied, "we don't close until 6:30 p.m., ma'am". "No, no, I mean are you CLOSING....you know, going out of business?" Oh. That question again. I hadn't heard it for over a year now, so it really threw me. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but where did you hear that?" I asked. "Oh, just around", she replies. "We're not going out of business, ma'am, and I'd really like to know where you heard that bit of information". "Just through the grapevine", was the elusive answer. Sigh. The grapevine has been quiet, like I said, for over a year now.....I thought. Apparently I was wrong.
People don't really think when they repeat information they're not absolutely sure of. I know I've done it in the past, but now I stop and think who I could be hurting by passing along erroneous information. If we all just stopped a minute and thought about it, I'm sure the majority of us would stop as well. Or better yet, if the information you're not sure about is about a place, or person, go see them. Go there and see if it's true before passing it along and spreading rumors that might actually harm them. People might not feel as strongly about my businesses as I do, but we all need to realize, especially in these tough economic times, that there are employees here who depend on their salaries. Bad word-of-mouth and rumors only discourages patronage, and if we don't have enough customers buying things from us, we can't pay them. We're not privately funded. So please, faceless woman on the phone, or anyone else reading this, don't feed the rumor mill. We're open, we're in business.....come in and see us!
Have a wonderful week ahead, my friends.....Passover and Easter blessings to you, and we'll be taking Easter Sunday off. We'll talk again the week following!
"If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish. High expectations are the key to everything." -Sam Walton
I'm using a quote from a guy who built the ultimate big-box chain even though I'm an independent retailer. There's irony there, but Sam Walton started out as an independent way back when. And in this quote is the kernel of any successful venture, whether in business or in life....the ability to set high goals, standards - whatever you want to call 'em - it's what becomes our inner compass and guides us.
Imagine what happens when that compass is broken. When that surety you felt becomes doubt and mistrust. Low self esteem can do that to a person, you only have to look around to see those that have been affected by it. That's why believing in yourself is so important. Knowing that deep down, you are special, that you have meaning and the work you're doing is worthwhile.
I'm sure that another chain retailer, German billionaire Theo Albrecht, had a mantra similar to Walton's. Theo Albrecht and his brother, Karl, built Europe's Aldi markets, which have 4,000 stores in number worldwide and an estimated $66 billion in sales. Theo bought Trader Joe's from its original owner in 1979. Trader Joe's now has approximately $5.5 billion in sales from 340 stores throughout the U.S. Karl Albrecht is 90 years old. Theo passed away on Saturday. I admired Albrect's corporate vision, which was progressive throughout the time he owned Trader Joe's. Not only is their starting pay higher than the norm in the industry, they have a very good company-matched retirement plan and insurace for their employees. He was a man ahead of his time. Rest in peace, Mr. Albrecht.
We also have high expections at WFS. Unlike many contemporary retail stores these days who are searching for direction, we know where we are going. We're excited about it and Scott and I and our entire crew are invested in getting there. Come in soon and see why we're so excited, or if you can't come in, be sure to stop by our Facebook page to catch up on what's new!
