Saturday, February 18, 2006
Does Wal-Mart Really Want a 121,000 sq ft Store?
A good point has been brought up. Is Wal-Mart proposing a 121,000 sq ft store just so they can eventually 'compromise' on the size they really want? What if the size they really want is a 100,000 sq ft store. Public relations wise they will look very 'cooperative' if they agree to 'reduce' the footprint of the store from 121,000 to 100,000 sq ft when 100,000 sq ft is what they wanted all along. What size store to people in SL really think we need?
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7 comments:
121,000 in all its retail glory sounds great to me! Let it Come!
Pete, Slow Saturday - Not down in Plattsburgh using your Sam's Club Card?
Just because Wal-Mart wants to come to Saranac Lake, doesn't means they will stay here once they get here. According to Al Norman in his book "The Case Against Wal-Mart" this company presently has 350 EMPTY STORES IN THE UNITED STATES. They don't hesitate to abandon a store. Norman says they are the largest holder of empty real estate in the U.S.
In Lake Placid Wal-Mart insisted they were going to take in 18.1 million in a year!! Hello? There is NOT anywhere near that amount of money in the tri-lakes from local residents. Those who want Wal-Mart to stay are going to have to spend some REAL HARD EARNED MONEY THERE. And being we will be surrounded by them, the money is going to have to come from LOCAL RESIDENTS. Folks living in Malone, Potsdam, Massema. and Plattsburgh will NOT SHOP HERE. And don't expect tourists to go there in droves either.
If Wal-Mart comes I predict they will be gone in 3 to 5 years. A Plattsburgh retailer told me I was being generous. She predicted they would be gone in 2 years!
40,000 sq ft. Do not need another pharmacy or grocery store. Let's figure out a way to make the grocery situation better and our 3 pharmacies are quite nice , thank you. Just think about how much cool stuff you could put in 40,000 sq ft without duplicating what is already here. We don't need auto aisles, paint aisles or paper goods for that matter. Want cheap cleaning supplies? The two dollar stores has that covered. Clothing, shoes and some housewares and I guess some electronics and the latest toys that the kids want only because they have seen it on tv. I may have left something important out but I think that about covers it.
In Lewiston, ME we have an empty Wal-Mart across the street from a Wal-Mart. They closed a huge one to build a bigger one, it's completely ridiculous. Grand Union came back to SL, why not bring Ames back(oh yeah they went out of business too). Bring retailer with fair business practices and someone who is going to support the community. Wal-Mart's low prices are only a short term answer in the long run even the people in favor of Wal-Mart will realize the problems it will create for Saranac Lake.
I think that if most Saranac Lakers were asked what they wanted it would boil down to a few things.
But I think the top item would be
AFFORDABLE CLOTHING. By clothing I mean stuff for everyone. Men's, women's and kids clothing. And by affordable I'm not talking about $100.00 for one pair of pants. While I have nothing against our present clothing stores, this type of clothing is not AFFORDABLE for many residents. I know they do have their customers, but unfortunately, many local residents cannot afford to shop there. AFFORDABLE CLOTHING probably tops the list of peoples needs here.
And it is my understanding that we had at least one department store that wanted to come here. Wise Buys wanted to go into the old Ames store. Wise Buys would be an EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR OUR VILLAGE. Ever been in one? I have, and they have plenty of stuff at great prices. I saw lots of BRAND NAME AND QUALITY things at cheap prices. But they have one problem.
Wise Buys needs a place to go. The owners of the Ames Plaza decided to split that huge store into 3 stores. By doing so they were able to get more rent. But they also kept Wise Buys from having a place to go. It is my understanding that Wise Buys had ALREADY signed the lease for that space, and was ready to more in, when the plaza owners changed their minds. If that store had been able to come--we would not be in this mess now. Lets find a place for them to go. Bet they'd still be interested in our village!
Think about it. Even 100,000 sf is a large store. We need a WalMart or WalMart-like retailer. We DON'T need a superstore. I don't think we should threaten good businesses like Posts Office Pharmacy. Our local grocerey stores are certainly overpriced, though Price Chopper is near enough to drive. I believe a reasonable size is 60,000 sf for a box store (term given to these things).
Will it fit back there? What are the environmental considerations?
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