Monday, December 7, 2009

Thinking Outside the Big Box

So I'm driving through town today and notice that the little tea shop has closed. That just bums me out - there are way too many vacancies in our adorable downtown and I hate to see another small business bite the dust - especially one that did so much renovation and beautification of main street. But I ask myself, hey self, did you go to that tea shop? Did you support this little business whose demise you mourn? Why no, self, I did not. It really made me think about supporting my local stores, shops and artists. They don't exist just to make the town look postcardesque and quaint.

I know, everyone talks about thinking outside the big box of corporate America - and that's great and all, but really, honestly, we all shop at Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, etc - we have to. We're trying to have a civilization here. But when we can, we really have to try to remember the little guys. Of course, I'm a little guy - one teeny jeweler in a sea, an ocean of jewelry designers on etsy. So of course I tend to think about the fate of us independent artists. But this holiday season, I'm going to continue supporting my fellow artists on etsy, but I'm going to remember my local businesses as well.

1 comment:

Coolkayaker1 said...

Wow, your comment about the little tea shoppe really hit home with me, as I too noticed it's shuttered windows about three weeks ago. Infusion Tea Shop. I was walking by the shop before it opened, and the owner was on a scaffold painting the ornate brickwork above the edifice. I told her how nice it looked. She was full of optimism in late 2008.

I did not go there to buy tea, either, Analisa. I too have contirbuted to its demise.

For what it's worth, the Infusion Tea Shop website says that it has moved to a cart at a local mall. Well, that is quite a change from State Street, Geneva. So telling: the cute tea shop in high rent doistrict is loved but not patronized by locals, and then moves out to the mall. American retail, in a nutshell.

Loved your post about this subject. I, too, will try to eat, drink and play at our downtown shops more in 2010. Look, I have a new year's resolution, and I wasn't even trying for one.