When you need to shop for groceries, clothes, or anything else you might want or need, the first place that immediately comes to mind is probably a big box store. Am I right?
Ever since the rise of these superstores in the 1980s we have seen how they have decimated local economies and forced the closure of millions of small businesses nationwide.
Take Downtown Alice for example: once a thriving center for commerce and community, it is now a shell of its former self. I say this not to detract from our amazing small business owners located downtown, but to bring attention to a part of town that has been forgotten by many people.
Look—I get it, it can seem difficult and annoying when you can’t find on-street parking while trying to dine or shop downtown. But did you know, even if you had to park in a satellite lot a block or two down, you’d still be walking less than if you had visited a big box store?
It’s true! When you arrive at one of these large stores, you have to walk a significant distance just to get inside the store, then depending on what you need, you may find yourself making several rounds across the store. The distance traveled during an average shopping trip like this could significantly be reduced by frequenting small businesses that are located close to one another.
Just compare these maps of Walmart in Alice and Downtown. These photos were taken from the same elevation so you can really see just how “inconvenient” these big box stores actually are.
Even if you had to park on North King Street and walk several blocks, you’d still be taking less steps than if you had parked in the middle of the Walmart parking lot and went inside. This is because these big box stores simply give us the illusion of convenience, when in reality they’re quite inconvenient.
On top of the fact that you have to walk long distances just to find all of the products you need, you then have to wait in long lines as the few staffed employees find it difficult to quickly get people out the door.
Meanwhile, when you visit Downtown to shop, you’re free to choose which stores you want to stop in without having to deal with excessive lines. That’s more time for you to spend doing other things, like grabbing a bite to eat from somewhere downtown, or catching some live music there when available.
So, next time you want to go out shopping, try checking out some of the many businesses downtown that are owned by your fellow community members. By supporting small businesses, we keep money in our community that can be used to sponsor local events, benefits, and more.
This is an opinion piece and reflects the opinions of the author, not the Hub City Gazette as a whole. We do not endorse, promote, or align with the opinions published on our page. Do you have an op-ed you’d like us to publish? Send us an email.