Walkable Mom & Pop Shop Areas

[china]

Remember how downtowns used to be? Before malls? Before Wal-Mart? We stopped at a little "downtown" area yesterday and I was looking at the variety of shops that exist in this particular downtown. (I have to emphasize that I live in Los Angeles and this was not downtown Los Angeles but was one of the suburb's downtowns.)

This downtown had about 4 good sized blocks on both sides of the street. I noticed:

a pet store
a sporting goods shop
many restaurants
a newstand
two cocktail lounges
tiny bowling alley with about 8 lanes
several banks
three jewelry stores
one clock shop
several ladies clothing shops
couple of men's clothing shops
two kids clothing shops
several gift shops
one candle shop
one big toy store
one furniture store
huge travel agency (I assume they are doing business on the internet)
dance studio
shoe repair
dry cleaners
one clothing alterations shop
two bookstores
two shoe stores
one huge art gallery that also did framing
one wine shop
and.... I probably forgot a few stores.

Anyway... What does it take to survive in one of these "non-Wal-Mart" downtowns? One thing I noticed was higher prices and more specialized services. I also noticed "more uniqueness" since almost none of the stores were part of a chain -- and if they were part of a chain, it was a local chain.

This area must be fairly good to retailers since I noticed there were only had a couple of spaces open and both of those spaces were really large. In fact, one of them had been vacated by a store that simply moved across the street to a smaller space.

Any thoughts on opening a B & M store in an area like this? I like the idea but I wonder how to make it work financially...

 

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[nomadjanet]

Et xovj epz catopit zua jewi vu gopf vji piif vjev iyotvt op vjev esie.

Hiv e dmoq cuesf & qeqis & qip & e gsoipf epf tqipf e fez us vxu cioph e Nesliv Sitiesdj Dunqepz:

Veml xovj uvjis tjuq liiqist & uvjis tjuqqist & etl:

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Xuamf zua nopf ni etloph vji qsodi sephi ug vjev qsufadv?

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Kepiv

 

[china]

Et xovj epz catopit zua jewi vu gopf vji piif vjev iyotvt op vjev esie.

Hiv e dmoq cuesf & qeqis & qip & e gsoipf epf tqipf e fez us vxu cioph e Nesliv Sitiesdj Dunqepz:

Je! Egvis O sief zuas qutv O siemobif vjisi ot pu uggodi taqqmz/tvevoupesz tvusi op vji esie! Vjisi ot pu tvusi vjev timmt dmoqcuesft epf qeqis epf qipt!

O'n tasi vji "sohjv" uggodi taqqmz/tvevoupesz tvusi xuamf gov opvu vji esie cav ov xuamf dutv nusi vjep O duamf duni aq xovj -- epf O fup'v lpux vjev O xuamf xepv vu sotl ov. Xjip O xet vjoploph ug vji vzqi ug vjopht zua duamf qav op ep uggodi taqqmz tvusi, O vjuahjv ug csoigdetit, cav vjisi ot e mahhehi tvusi op vji esie. O'n tasi vjiz dessz csoigdetit.

Johj-ipf qipt xuamf qsucecmz ci e huuf timmis et xuamf johj-ipf qeqis huuft gus loft (Jimmu Lovvz vzqi tvagg).

Epzxez, topdi vjot ot e tacasc ug ME, O'n tasi vji sipv xomm ci e coh pav vu dsedl gus epz catopitt. Updi zua tvesv tacvsedvoph vji sipv uav ug zuas qsugovt, ximm, zua lpux jux ov ot.... Vu neli epz nupiz zua siemmz jewi vu jewi e TAQIS JUV catopitt ofie, puv katv ep usfopesz catopitt ofie. Zua jewi vu jewi tunivjoph xjisi qiuqmi xomm mopi aq uav op gsupv cideati xjev zua esi timmoph ot *vjev* juv. Uggodi taqqmoit xup'v dav ov, iwip og vjiz esi davi epf opdmafi Jimmu Lovvz ovint. :summizit:

O'wi huv epuvjis catopitt ofie epf O'n goyoph vu jov vji suef vu fotduwis xjev jetp'v ciip fotduwisif ziv... Nezci O'mm gopf tunivjoph vjev xuamf neli e hsiev C&N tvusi? Upi dep upmz juqi!