I'm in the middle of a new experience that is teaching me much about small business and corporate business. I work in a huge (to me) mall.
It extends for blocks offering customers climate controlled shopping, fun activities, spicy and flavorful food and clean surroundings.
That's part of the problem.
You see, I'm used to scruffy shopping downtown where you can kick a paper cup down the ragged sidewalk, see pet poop here and there, and even dogs sitting quietly while their owners sip coffee in a sidewalk cafe nearby.
The mall offers just about everything a shopper could want, even alternative merchandise, such as shirts, shoes, dresses, home decor, all with peace sign on them with shiny colors and even glitter.
But one sees no posters on their walls about upcoming peace events in town. Nor will these corporate stores take any promotional materials about peace events in their town, such as the International Day of Peace happening soon in their town on September 21st.
I walked into one such store today, where I left off a flyer about our event. Since the store oozed with peace trinkets and new age materials, I thought they would make perfect sponsors. The response from the sales person was that corporate said no. His eyes told me that they were there to make a profit only, not to support local projects or movements.
Later I walked into a store downtown that sells t-shirts. Immediately I get an offer to supply free t-shirts with our logo for our volunteers, and a cut in the profits that the merchant sells to others at the event. As I leave his store, I notice his "Re-think Afghanistan" bumper sticker.
There was one little tiny shop at the mall that is a small business. It's a coffee shop, the only shop there that has an Asheville Shop Local sign in its window. They did accept some of my flyers about an upcoming event.
After I left the coffee shop, I stopped at Barnes and Noble book store. I entered and walked around. I saw no local free magazines that I find downtown or posters alerting the public to an upcoming concert or protest. Instead I found sheer blandness. I asked a clerk on my way out just to make sure. She told me that they accepted no posters of upcoming events. I responded, "I guess you sure aren't a good old neighborhood bookstore, are you?" She said, "I'm sorry!"
Sure! I'll stick to giving my business to Malaprop's downtown. Thank you very much!
I noticed on my way back to my car that there were NO posters for any event anywhere else in the mall.
The lesson: Support your town's own local businesses. They care about one thing or another along with making a profit. They may prefer something other than what you are passionate about, but they aren't afraid of showing who and what they are in this big world and the small world of downtown.
Give me any day downtown. You can keep your sterile mall. And by the way, have you seen any local posters at your neighborhood Starbucks lately? Or McDonald's?
Today....or tomorrow, say thank you to your little business next door or down the street....or downtown!