Hello, all, from Heidi Marttila-Losure — I’m here to do my first blog entry! I like to follow several blogs on rural issues, and from time to time I hope to share what I read there with you.
I noticed this entry on the Blog for Rural America and thought it addressed many issues we should be discussing here in Frederick. The topic is an NPR story on Walsh, Colo., which resurrected its store by making it a community co-op:
About two years ago, the company that owned the store said they were closing down and moving out. For a time, that meant a half-hour drive out of town to shop. That’s when the community took over. A group of residents came together to form a co-op and sold $50 shares around town, and the store reopened.
That part sounds familiar, doesn’t it? But it was the next paragraph that intrigued me:
Rick Mills chairs the grocery store’s board. He also owns the auto supply store on Main Street. The grocery store, he says, brought in more than $1 million in its first year and has been the engine of the little economy.
Whoa! $1 million! Now that’s in a town that’s more than double the size of Frederick, but still, it would be amazing if Frederick’s Community Store could bring in anything close to that, and become the engine of anything we could call an “economy.”
Heck, it would be nice if the Community Store were in the black, which, unfortunately, it is not.
I think the big difference is that many of the people who initially saw the need for a co-op store in Frederick and invested in it have moved away or passed on, and the people who are still here think the store will always be here, just barely hanging on, but hanging on nonetheless. In Walsh, people have a recent memory of not having a store, and it’s their investment that brought the store back to life. They know they have to support their local store or their investment will have been a waste — no one else is likely to travel to their little town to shop for groceries.
How can we make sure the Community Store continues to be a part of the community, and that we don’t end up driving a half-hour for milk and eggs?
Here’s my theory: One strategy is to dwell on the negative, threatening people with the imminent closure of the store if they don’t buy from there. But it seems to me that might start to build some resentment among customers — especially if there’s no other reason to shop there (they’ve had trouble with old merchandise, the prices are higher, and the selection is poor — all complaints I’ve heard about the store).
I think a better strategy would be to take a risk and make the store better. Does it need a facelift? Does it need to hold some customer appreciation events? Does it need to serve a hot lunch? What will make it a better, more positive shopping experience for its customers?
We can either focus on just how to make the store survive — in which case we’ll always be on the brink — or we can focus on how to make the store thrive.
I really think the store needs a facelift — it’s got a wonderful history, and it could really play off that history in redecorating. People love going to a place that evokes nostalgia (as long as they can also get the modern grocery goodies they also expect). Perhaps some historical photos? Nicer flooring? Taking out the old paneling? I’m no good at redecorating, though — anyone else out there agree, and want to help out?
The bank next door I think successfully pulled of a renovation some years ago that looks modern but celebrates its history.
If you’ve got more thoughts on what could make the Community Store better, please comment, and I’ll bring your comments to the next store board meeting!