Attention Walmart Shoppers.....

BOSS

BOSS

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Oct 31, 2002
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Hometown grocery stores are a dying breed, and the problem could be slowly killing rural America. That, according to research by Kansas State University, which also notes that folks who live in these towns with populations less than 2500 have some of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the nation.

Read full article HERE... pay special attention to the last paragraph.
 
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This was my biggest idea for our state association..to develop a buying pool..My thoughts were to be able to buy in bulk and distribute that buying power to many stores so we could compete with big boxes and have pointsettias and mums and all those holiday staples at a much more reasonable price to give the consumers a reason to get into our shops other than we judt do better designs than the big guys, that is a good sell but a hard one...if we can draw them in the store with lots of inexpensive items we have a better chance of them seeing our better items and buying...you can't sell to the person buying at another store...

Oh and I was basically laughed at...told no one even wants to sell those things anymore...we can't compete and don't want to compete with these items..If they want my flowers they will pay the price....OK, when someone would rather drive 30 miles out of their way to do all thier shopping in one place rather than pay a dollar or two more and be in out and home in a matter of minutes, I think that speaks volumes to how they feel about paying more for anything!
 
lori042499 said:
This was my biggest idea for our state association..to develop a buying pool..My thoughts were to be able to buy in bulk and distribute that buying power to many stores so we could compete with big boxes and have pointsettias and mums and all those holiday staples at a much more reasonable price to give the consumers a reason to get into our shops other than we judt do better designs than the big guys, that is a good sell but a hard one...if we can draw them in the store with lots of inexpensive items we have a better chance of them seeing our better items and buying...you can't sell to the person buying at another store...

Oh and I was basically laughed at...told no one even wants to sell those things anymore...we can't compete and don't want to compete with these items..If they want my flowers they will pay the price....OK, when someone would rather drive 30 miles out of their way to do all thier shopping in one place rather than pay a dollar or two more and be in out and home in a matter of minutes, I think that speaks volumes to how they feel about paying more for anything!
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Some people are dumbasses Lori.
When I lived in Oklahoma City, The first shop I worked for was part of a co-op and "pool"
It was the most awesome thing ever! Our flowers for the most part were less expensive than buying them from the wholesalers and we were able to deliver allover OKC, Norman, Piedmont, Edmond, etc...
FYI, OKC is HUGE acre for acre.... 600 square miles IIRC. I loved being part of a co-op. I'd love to bring that to ABQ, but I imagine I'd be met with the same types of folks laughing at me as well....
 
anytimeflowers said:
The only thing is, I don't see towns "dwindling away" for the lack of florists, so nobody is really going to care about our troubles.
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Linda, that's true... however this article speaks to the larger issue of dwindling "small businesses" in general. You could interchange the word grocery for the butcher, baker or candle stick maker and the result is the same. The very thing that built the back bone of America is small business, it employs the majority of workers, provides the most benefit to a community, and depending on the type of business, it often holds a community together.

When only big boxes are left, then we'll really have a problem.

The day the music died...
 
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BOSS said:
Linda, that's true... however this article speaks to the larger issue of dwindling "small businesses" in general. You could interchange the word grocery for the butcher, baker or candle stick maker and the result is the same. The very thing that built the back bone of America is small business, it employs the majority of workers, provides the most benefit to a community, and depending on the type of business, it often holds a community together.

When only big boxes are left, then we'll really have a problem.

The day the music died...
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I totally get that, Boss. But at least with a grocery store where it impacts people's health, it gets noticed.

With most small business, God I hope I don't sound redundant again.......nobody gives a crap. Oh, they will when they have no choices anymore, but right now what Lori says is absolutely spot on.
 
I have seen many small grocery/deli's close in this area, but then two more pop up. Mostly
deli's try to make a go of it. The quality deli's make it and stay in business and they are truely busy, as I shop them. Their prices are higher, their quality is much better and their customer service is tops. Those businesses have to work very hard too.
I'm very comfortable shopping at the small shops and have for 36 years.
I think it's all going to come back, Big Time for small businesses. Just finding your niche is important.
 
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yes,

I just love people who come in looking for a DONATION for their whatever event. When you ask them where are they getting their whatchamacallets they say "big box store"

Ah yes, and who will be left to donate................
 
marie g bushnell said:
I have seen many small grocery/deli's close in this area, but then two more pop up. Mostly
deli's try to make a go of it. The quality deli's make it and stay in business and they are truely busy, as I shop them. Their prices are higher, their quality is much better and their customer service is tops. Those businesses have to work very hard too.
I'm very comfortable shopping at the small shops and have for 36 years.
I think it's all going to come back, Big Time for small businesses. Just finding your niche is important.
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Unfortunately, we ARE a dying breed....so long as we continue to "believe" that all will be well in time...it WON'T!!.....I vision stand alone florist shops as a "destination" shopping location so, be PREPARED to be a destination location....frankly, flowers can be had anywhere!!..don't think for one minute that YOUR flowers are "better", most consumers DON'T CARE!!...I want the best, for the least, and MUST HAVE that "experience" to cajole me to come back!!
Listen, I'm in Calgary,Alberta.....we've been looking around, and there are 2 or 3 places that ALREADY I won't shop at, and I'm pretty lenient!....Just imagine yourself in YOUR customer's shoes, and ask yourself "WHY do they come back, what is it, what makes OUR shop the place to go to for THEM", and DUPLICATE the necessities, as MOST shoppers are either driven by price, or the "experience"......
As far as 'donations", don't you kid yourself, some of the biggest box store operations, contribute WAY more, per square foot of retail space, than WE can even imagine!!
 
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The sad thing is, how many of us talk the talk, but are just as guilty of shopping at the Walmarts of the world to save a few bucks? We want people to shop at our little independent flower shops but where are we buying our office supplies, books, paper towels, etc? I'm just saying..............
 
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Kristine said:
I just love people who come in looking for a DONATION for their whatever event.
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To which I ask... are you a customer here, when was your last purchase?

Generally gets rid of 80% of requests.
 
BOSS said:
To which I ask... are you a customer here, when was your last purchase?

Generally gets rid of 80% of requests.
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same here, if they are a customer - gift certificates.

and as for the big boxes being big donors. For the past year I was involved in an event that solicited a regional geographic business area for contributions or donations. But basically the stores targeted were companies that had a presence in that area and would be shopped by most all the consumers is the region. So in other words most everyone who would have benefited from our event had family who shopped at those stores and shop at those stores they do.

Who were the biggest donors. NOT THE BIG BOX stores. many gave a gift card for less than $50 to shop at their store. Others give 5% off your purchase of $50 or more and others just a coupon for a few dollars off some target item they sold (like shoes or jeans etc). Smaller mom and pops were much more generous in giving gift certificates or items. Yes, some mom and pops declined to give but by far many gave. Many of our service agents (insurance co etc) cut a check.

Sure the big box stores get inundated all the time for donations. BUT the wallys etc have captured a fair amount of business from the mom and pops yet they don't give back in any % equal to the sales the community spends. They do not fund the little league teams, aau ball etc. They contribute to the fire works show. Yes it gets their name out but which one is more important in the community. Some pretty ohs and ahs or a summer of exercise and team building for some boys and girls.

Ok, I will get off my soap box now and get to work.

Thing is, Most CONsumers don't see the forest for the trees and when all that is left are the big box stores, don't expect them to be so CHEAP and such a deal. When you capture the market, you can charge anything you want.

and NO I do not shop at WAlly etc.
 
concord said:
The sad thing is, how many of us talk the talk, but are just as guilty of shopping at the Walmarts of the world to save a few bucks? We want people to shop at our little independent flower shops but where are we buying our office supplies, books, paper towels, etc? I'm just saying..............
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This is so true and I'm so guilty of this which is why I would never ask that people shop at my store just because I'm a local small business. If people can get the same product at a lower price than you can't expect that they will pay more out of principle. Some people will, but some people just can't. I will gladly pay more for stuff but it better be a better product and better service. Sometimes it's more convenient to go to a small shop than a big one if I only need a few things in which case I gladly pay more. Or if the service is better than I would also pay more. But if there is no clear reason to, I won't.

There are some small businesses that I frequent all the time and they don't even seem to recognize me. So why would I pay more for the same service I could get at Walmart? I will however, drive across town and pay extra to go to a pizza place where the bartender recognizes me, remembers what beer I drink, and gets my @@@@ pizza right. I tried for awhile to go to the local place near my house but the service is nothing special and borderline unfriendly. I actually even like their pizza better but I was going there a few times a week and tipping really well but never was recognized as a regular and they acted put out by my special requests. Now I'm driving further to go to the chain place because they know me there and I don't have to deal with the same stuff. I actually think it's quite crazy that I would be expected to shop local and pay more for stuff without awesome customer service going along with it. I believe that if you want people to pay more than you have to offer more. Thats what I do. I get to know my customers and accomodate all their special requests without acting put out by it. And I offer lots of services that grocery stores never could.

So yes, I agree that small business is going down but a lot of times the big stores and the chain restaurants have the customer service thing down a little better. It's really unfortunate.
 
bootcampguy said:
All of you are saying the same thing, if the service level is there you will pay more and frequent more.
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That's what I'm saying.

I'm currently even temporarily boycotting my local florist wholesaler because the customer service is so ridiculous. I feel like they could at least help me load my flowers in the car when I bother going there to shop. And actually, they could refrain from trying to sell me old flowers with a straight face while they are at it. I would think they would step it up a little considering I can have all my stuff fed exd right to my doorstep nowadays. They are only a few blocks from my house-which is so convenient-but I'm still boycotting at least until they notice I'm missing. There have been too many incidents here lately. And they aren't even the only wholesaler in town which makes it even funnier that they would have such attitude.
 
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