Traffic was strangely heavy last night at a few minutes before ten as I drove past Marshall, Minnesota on highway 23. Looking over at the WalMart parking lot, it was half full, and seemed like most of the traffic was headed there. Now, nearly a day later, the "low" prices on the price leader big screen TVs and other toys has been forgotten. WalMart, like a cheap whore, is buying short term market share. Monday morning WalMart, Best Buy, et al's PR machines will be bragging about how big their sales were on black friday... Just like a cheap crack whore bragging about how many tricks he or she turned last night as they bum cigarettes.
While Walmart and her big box brethren are turning cheap tricks, here in Tyler, Minnesota on the Buffalo Ridge small businesses are building enduring relationships with local customers. There were no midnight openings, Browser Night starts at 5 pm, 'bout the time most local businesses are closing. And they'll be no all nighters for these family businesses- Browser Night ends at eight. The registers will be pretty much silent- Browser Night exists to build relationships, not one day sales records.
So here in Tyler a goodly chunk of the populace is out and about on Main Street. There's free food in every business, as past and future customers BS and build community. Santa's here too of course, and sleigh rides will commence shortly. This is my second year at Tyler's Browser Night, and I've since repeatedly patronized the small business folks I met last year. Were not offering the "best buy" here in Tyler, instead with Browser Night were building relationships and community!