One of life's saddest things is the new store that is doomed

[StageLeft]

Last year in the strip mall next to my work a store opened up. It had some cute name. It sold expensive "chocolate bouquets" or some such. I walked by it once and inside a lady, store empty save her lightly-stocked shelves. I told Mrsskoorb immediately how bad I felt for even me with no entrepreneurial experience I could see so plainly the store was fvcked. And so, it disappeared soon.

And now we have a new True Value hardware store near where I live. This store inexplicably has placed itself in the middle of a Lowes and Home Depot about 8 minutes from one and 10 from the other. It is a nice store, it has a decent selection. Not as good as them but decent. In a small town it would be awesome. But here WHY? The prices are slightly sickening. For example a plumbing coupling that is $6.50 at the other two is $11 here. 60 lbs concrete costs the same as 80 at them. Essentially if you wanted to buy more than a roll of electrical tape you'd be throwing money away to go there instead of the others. And the cash register is being run by young women so it's not like they are really selling expertise. There is another hardware store even closer to that Home Depot and pricier, too, but it sells a lot of things HD doesn't, like endless plumbing supplies and that's why it stays in business. This True Value I simply don't understand why somebody put it there and I weep for them. Also their return policy sucks, 30 days only WITH receipt. Lowes and Home Depot will take anything. You could take an old rotted piece of wood without a receipt and say you bought it yesterday and they'll give you store credit.

 

[Blackjack200]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2019430

There's a new shop in my town that sells nothing but kitchen utensils.

 

[Spike]

I know the feeling. I hate seeing a new place come in, especially one thats obviously not a chain, and knowing that they will be gone in less than a year. It sucks but I guess thats the way it goes. I probably don't help when I order most of my crap online and go for the cheapest I can get something.

 

[Kaido]

It's like that ever-changing shop on Seinfeld

We have one of those in town, on main street. It was a bicycling shop, then a wedding dress shop, then a small sports store, yada yada yada. Every couple of months, it's something new. It's like they have a timeshare thing going on, lol.

 

[grrl]

I've always found True Value overpriced as well. They carry some small items HD and Lowes don't, but other than that I have little reason to go there.

Edit: Last summer a fairly large store near my parents' house went out business after not very long. It specialized in Halloween costumes! Who thought that would work?

 

[ultimatebob]

What I really hate is when I find a good local restaurant that makes great food, only to see them go under in six months due to lack of business. Meanwhile, the Applebee's next door has a line going out the door... :|

 

[JulesMaximus]

Last year in the strip mall next to my work a store opened up. It had some cute name. It sold expensive "chocolate bouquets" or some such. I walked by it once and inside a lady, store empty save her lightly-stocked shelves. I told Mrsskoorb immediately how bad I felt for even me with no entrepreneurial experience I could see so plainly the store was fvcked. And so, it disappeared soon.

And now we have a new True Value hardware store near where I live. This store inexplicably has placed itself in the middle of a Lowes and Home Depot about 8 minutes from one and 10 from the other. It is a nice store, it has a decent selection. Not as good as them but decent. In a small town it would be awesome. But here WHY? The prices are slightly sickening. For example a plumbing coupling that is $6.50 at the other two is $11 here. 60 lbs concrete costs the same as 80 at them. Essentially if you wanted to buy more than a roll of electrical tape you'd be throwing money away to go there instead of the others. And the cash register is being run by young women so it's not like they are really selling expertise. There is another hardware store even closer to that Home Depot and pricier, too, but it sells a lot of things HD doesn't, like endless plumbing supplies and that's why it stays in business. This True Value I simply don't understand why somebody put it there and I weep for them. Also their return policy sucks, 30 days only WITH receipt. Lowes and Home Depot will take anything. You could take an old rotted piece of wood without a receipt and say you bought it yesterday and they'll give you store credit.

True dat. I had a Moen faucet that started leaking after 6 years, the white plastic had yellowed too, but I took it back and they swapped it with a brand new one.

 

[Nebor]

What I really hate is when I find a good local restaurant that makes great food, only to see them go under in six months due to lack of business. Meanwhile, the Applebee's next door has a line going out the door... :|

Your post reminds me of how much I love Applebees. The variety, the flavors, the atmosphere of sophisticated yet accessible dining... it's all so perfect.

 

[mugs]

Yeah, I feel bad for them but wonder how they think they can compete. An independent book store opened in my town a couple of years ago - there's no way they can compete with Amazon on price or B&N/Borders for selection. I don't think the store lasted a year. There was an R/C hobby store near that book store, and I don't think they lasted very long either.

I have a niche hobby (boardgaming) that is usually not able to support local stores without the help of collectible card games (i.e. Magic: The Gathering). Usually local stores sell games at or above MSRP while online stores are usually 30% below MSRP. Some people are willing to pay extra to support their local game store, because they usually have gaming tables and allow people to play there and sometimes borrow games from the store to play at their tables. My local game store is entirely populated by smelly teenagers playing Magic and Warhammer, and their boardgame section about the size of two bookcases. I've bought two games there, the rest I buy online.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

It's funny, Americans lament the death of small mum & pop stores, while I wish we had the ridiculously massive super-stores you guys have with such amazing prices. I don't have any kind of sentimental feelings towards any stores, I just want to pay less for my consumer goods. Bring Wal Mart to NZ plzkthx.

 

[Kaido]

Your post reminds me of how much I love Applebees. The variety, the flavors, the atmosphere of sophisticated yet accessible dining... it's all so perfect.

Their spinach-artichoke dip is nothing short of amazing.

 

[Balt]

There are lots of people who somehow get the impression that owning their own business is easier than working for someone else. I guess they think they can just hire underlings and the business will pretty much run itself.

In reality, the people I know with their own successful businesses (very few people) are pretty much on the clock almost every waking hour in some capacity or another. Even when their doors aren't open, there is cleaning or inventory or food prep to be done.

As for the chains, I have no idea how they pick their locations. I've seen more than one city with 2-3 different chain pharmacies on a single intersection.

 

[TheVrolok]

It's like that ever-changing shop on Seinfeld

We have one of those in town, on main street. It was a bicycling shop, then a wedding dress shop, then a small sports store, yada yada yada. Every couple of months, it's something new. It's like they have a timeshare thing going on, lol.

I immediately thought of that Seinfeld ep when I read the title.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Sadly smaller shops are overrun by the big ones. The big corporations can afford to sell everything at cheaper prices. I used to sell computers parts when I realized how pointless it was. Cheaper for people to just order online and there is no way I can compete with the online stores, when my suppliers were actually charging more!

 

[KK]

The stupidest one I see in a town up the road from me is a italian ice store. First off it's in a shopping center that no one ever goes into. second, how much italian ice do you need to sell to pay the rent. third, what kind of drug outfit they running out the back.

 

[l0cke]

We have a store that sells only cheese that has been in business here for 20+ years. It is also in a boring warehouse with little or no advertising. But every time I go in there it is packed. Just one of those things.

 

[lxskllr]

Your post reminds me of how much I love Applebees. The variety, the flavors, the atmosphere of sophisticated yet accessible dining... it's all so perfect.

I hate Applebees. The food's alright, but it's exactly the same as 6 other places within a 5 minute drive. It's cookie cutter American chain pub food. Nothing stands out.

 

[StageLeft]

We have a store that sells only cheese that has been in business here for 20+ years. It is also in a boring warehouse with little or no advertising. But every time I go in there it is packed. Just one of those things.

There is definitely business in selling overpriced stuff to doctors and grad students who feel that it separates them from the proles to patronize it.

 

[dainthomas]

Your post reminds me of how much I love Applebees. The variety, the flavors, the atmosphere of sophisticated yet accessible dining... it's all so perfect.

Of the many adjectives that can be used to describe Applebees, sophisticated would not be one of them. I'll give you accessible though. Of course, Subway is accessible too.

People go to those chains with thousands of locations because they want the same thing every time. Not really outstanding. Not really horrible. Just there.

 

[Balt]

There is definitely business in selling overpriced stuff to doctors and grad students who feel that it separates them from the proles to patronize it.

Dunno what grad students you've been hanging out with, but the ones I know don't have any money to speak of. It's not exactly high-paying.

 

[Modular]

I hate Applebees. The food's alright, but it's exactly the same as 6 other places within a 5 minute drive. It's cookie cutter American chain pub food. Nothing stands out.

But the steak man. The STEAK!

 

[Capt Caveman]

Your post reminds me of how much I love Applebees. The variety, the flavors, the atmosphere of sophisticated yet accessible dining... it's all so perfect.

 

[rudder]

What I really hate is when I find a good local restaurant that makes great food, only to see them go under in six months due to lack of business. Meanwhile, the Applebee's next door has a line going out the door... :|

That is because applebees has deeper pockets and can afford to offer 2 meals for $20 and all your hungry younguns eat for free. But even the applebees near me is nearly deserted on kidsw eat free night.

 

[waggy]

It's funny, Americans lament the death of small mum & pop stores, while I wish we had the ridiculously massive super-stores you guys have with such amazing prices. I don't have any kind of sentimental feelings towards any stores, I just want to pay less for my consumer goods. Bring Wal Mart to NZ plzkthx.

whats funny is people will bitch about how walmart pays/treats its workers. when smaller shops do far worse to them.


anyway you are right. i don't care if its a little shop that has been there 100 years. if they are more expensive then sorry. im not paying double just to keep you in busines


edit: and applebees blows. WTF $9 for 2 small cheeseburgers? are you nuts?

 

[arrfep]

What I really hate is when I find a good local restaurant that makes great food, only to see them go under in six months due to lack of business. Meanwhile, the Applebee's next door has a line going out the door... :|

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