Friday, March 17, 2006
Malone Wal-Mart
184,000 sq ft (about 6 football fields) on 26 acres. 885 parking places (another 6 football fields?). Full grocery store, garden center, pharmacy, tire and lube and 16 pump gasoline station. This will be sure to revitalize the Malone downtown. All this and less than 50 miles from SL and another Wal-Mart Supercenter.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Wal-mart wants to be everywhere. The way they are going they are going to achieve that goal. Isn't it a bit riduculous that we are going to be surrounded by them?
I predict Malone will shortly be sorry they allowed that huge development there. It takes about 9 months before you START to see the effects of a Wal-Mart. Al Norman in his book "The Case Against Wal-mart" says that Wal-Mart is equivalent to 100 retail stores opening all at once. Is it any wonder many small business go under? Also when a Wal-mart opens typically 2 grocery stores close.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the Malone business district in about 2 years or so. Those who expect it to stay the same or improve are full of wishful thinking. There is NO PROOF that a business district THRIVES after a Wal-Mart opens. Small businesses have to either get CREATIVE OR DIE. And I feel sorry for the independent supermarkets there. They don't stand a chance. Neither do any of the small independent business either.
I haven't been to Malone in many years but I plan on making a trip shortly. Then I'm going to wait about a year or so and make a comparison. I expext to see some empty storefronts by then.
Ticonderoga didn't have much before Wal-Mart arrived. But now they HAVE NOTHING. Their business district is full of empty stores. And the remaining business are trying to move next to the Wal-mart so they can pick up the traffic from that giant store. This is what typically happens.
Wal-Mart has become a monopoly and it is time someone steped in and broke them up.
OK I have to go out on a limb here. I really think the problem is all about education and filling a feeling of lack and boredom.
When I was growing up, we got clothing and school supplies twice a year, Spring and Fall. It was a great event, almost a holiday.
I have raised my children the same way. Twice a year shopping trips. We made it fun. You know even when Ames was here I didn't buy clothing there anyway. I found Penny's and Sears sales to be worth the trip. I saved a little each month to be able to do it that way. Now I will tell you that our income was and still is very low. I am a local store owner and if you think the store owners in Saranac Lake are making money left and right, you are sadly mistaken. We are so busy that we do not have the time to shop any other way.
This proposed Wal-Mart is not going to keep people in Saranac Lake. Many still will want the variety of the other stores in Plattsburgh.
So now I get down to the uncomfortable stuff of it all...
Does it make us feel satisfied to go shopping every Saturday, fill our carts with cheap stuff and go home feeling like kings?
Are we bored?
Are we lazy?
Are we depressed?
Do we need to shop in a new store with shiny new floors while the one across or down the street becomes an empty eyesore and a total waste of money?
Are we being selfish and totally materialistic?
Most of the stuff, we don't even need. Most of the stuff we need is here already, although you might actually have to go to a few different places to get it. You know maybe try it you might even like it!
I will be the first to agree that we need more choices for clothing and shoes in order to fill the needs for citizens of the Saranac Lake area.
After Ames closed, other retailers have picked up some of the necessary items. How many people have taken the time to learn about what is in their community? I know for a FACT that many of these people that are screaming Wal-Mart have not stepped one foot in many of the stores downtown.
I wish somehow we could get the point across that this is a much bigger issue than Wal-Mart.
Post a Comment