Take the "Only Buy at local Austin Businesses" oath.....help keep 'em open during these hard times! (Spring: home, neighborhood)

[woodinvilleguy]

I have had crappy and great service at local and big box stores. Atxcio, you are making a very broad generalization. People should price shop and figure in service to their equation. sometimes it works out local, sometimes not. I have price compared and most of the time the small local place looses on price.

[Trainwreck20]

"everything we have is on the shelf and I don't know when we'll get anymore".

I don't think I have ever gotten an answer even close to that bad anywhere in Austin, at least not that I can recall, national chain or local. I have had a guy at Home Depot practically give us a class on tiling when we were looking for a hard to get mastic, and this is while he was searching out all the distributors in Austin that might carry it (based on the manuf. web page) since HD and Lowes did not. Best Buy is almost impossible to find help sometimes, but when I have found it, they happily checked all the local stores, checked thier backorders, and determined the most likely arrival date.

I suspect this has nothing to do with the store itself, rather the quality of employee they get. I will say in a mid-sized city GA that I worked in for a while, if you asked which way the bathroom was, it was like asking them to push your car or something.

I personally have nothing against a company that is based in another city. Why should I attempt to favor a local company if they do not earn it? If they do earn it, then they will get my business. If they are from Louisville, or Minneapolis, or whatever, and they do a better job, I will give them my business. All these companies are operating under essentially the same rules. Besides salary and taxes (which local and non-local companies pay), there is that 'vague' profit number that is 'siphoned' off. Really, it represents, mostly, the overhead staff somewhere else in the US, which I have nothing against. MY BIL works in Minneapolis, and my wife's family is in Louisville. They work for excellent companies that excel at what they do. If you are an Austin company (or Texas) than you need to excel too.

I do attempt to buy products that are manufactured and sold under the same conditions, though, as my local business. I have not purchased anything major from any country that does not have substantially the same environmental and/or labor laws as the US. It is almost impossible on small items, but major items it is. Regardless of whether it is a local or non-local company, check where it was made. If you are purchasing anything made in China (in particular, there are other) you can't ever complain about environment or our working conditions here in the US. The cost is substantial - furniture tends to run about twice as much if it is truly made in the US or a 'responsible' country (most of Europe, etc). This represents environmental responsibility and safe work conditions, mainly. They are not cheap or easy. We continue to push for more laws that drive up the cost, then smile and wander into a store (whether it is Breed and Co or Wal-mart) and buy a product that does not have that cost added in.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

I don't think I have ever gotten an answer even close to that bad anywhere in Austin, at least not that I can recall, national chain or local. I have had a guy at Home Depot practically give us a class on tiling when we were looking for a hard to get mastic, and this is while he was searching out all the distributors in Austin that might carry it (based on the manuf. web page) since HD and Lowes did not. Best Buy is almost impossible to find help sometimes, but when I have found it, they happily checked all the local stores, checked thier backorders, and determined the most likely arrival date.

I suspect this has nothing to do with the store itself, rather the quality of employee they get. I will say in a mid-sized city GA that I worked in for a while, if you asked which way the bathroom was, it was like asking them to push your car or something.

I personally have nothing against a company that is based in another city. Why should I attempt to favor a local company if they do not earn it? If they do earn it, then they will get my business. If they are from Louisville, or Minneapolis, or whatever, and they do a better job, I will give them my business. All these companies are operating under essentially the same rules. Besides salary and taxes (which local and non-local companies pay), there is that 'vague' profit number that is 'siphoned' off. Really, it represents, mostly, the overhead staff somewhere else in the US, which I have nothing against. MY BIL works in Minneapolis, and my wife's family is in Louisville. They work for excellent companies that excel at what they do. If you are an Austin company (or Texas) than you need to excel too.

I do attempt to buy products that are manufactured and sold under the same conditions, though, as my local business. I have not purchased anything major from any country that does not have substantially the same environmental and/or labor laws as the US. It is almost impossible on small items, but major items it is. Regardless of whether it is a local or non-local company, check where it was made. If you are purchasing anything made in China (in particular, there are other) you can't ever complain about environment or our working conditions here in the US. The cost is substantial - furniture tends to run about twice as much if it is truly made in the US or a 'responsible' country (most of Europe, etc). This represents environmental responsibility and safe work conditions, mainly. They are not cheap or easy. We continue to push for more laws that drive up the cost, then smile and wander into a store (whether it is Breed and Co or Wal-mart) and buy a product that does not have that cost added in.

This is just for these extreme times.....little shops are closing all over the USA now...restaurants, retail, etc....and national chains are closing as well....difference is, national chains can ride it out better, while the little places will just vanish into thin air....

Austin also has a huge reputation for having interesting local stores...and that is a large reason people move here..the eclectic spirit of the place...
I doubt that target, home depot and such are the major draws per relos...

What happens if the little places close, and the large places are all that is left standing? The help is awful there now...take away the little competition they have, and you'll have no options but to shop at the warehouse stores....not far away from that now.....

In good times, sure, shopping at the big places would be fine, but the small places REALLY need our business in this trying time....many more are on the verge of closing than you might think.....and the best way to help them is by making an effort to shop at their stores.....and let the big guys fend for themselves..

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by woodinvilleguy

I have had crappy and great service at local and big box stores. Atxcio, you are making a very broad generalization. People should price shop and figure in service to their equation. sometimes it works out local, sometimes not. I have price compared and most of the time the small local place looses on price.

Absolutely people should price shop and figure in service. I'm just trying to dispel the mistaken belief that big box is always cheaper on everything... because it's not, in my experience. If the same product is cheaper or the same price at a local vendor, especially one which has more knowledgeable employees (again this has been my experience), I will support the local vendor.

[woodinvilleguy]

Originally Posted by atxcio

Absolutely people should price shop and figure in service. I'm just trying to dispel the mistaken belief that big box is always cheaper on everything... because it's not, in my experience. If the same product is cheaper or the same price at a local vendor, especially one which has more knowledgeable employees (again this has been my experience), I will support the local vendor.

Fair enough

[inthecut]

I agree that sourcing products, even from local vendors, can be tricky if they are made out of country, but, what IS made in America anymore? Essentially no consumerelectronics are made in the
US anymore.....Computers are all made in Asia, even when owned by the USA..Hewlitt outsourced my computer way back in the mid-90's already.....forget clothes too...ALL shoes are made in China,
and most textiles(all the rest) are made in Asia.....quite a bit is still assembled in mexico as well, a partial oursourcing......
That being said, so little is manufactured here that it would be hard just to find ANYTHING, let alone only shop for nationally made products.....AND many that are made here have SOME foreign parts...
so........
After all is said, still wise to shop at the small, local stores in Austin....the main thing distinguishing
Austin from Dallas/FW and Houston is an eclectic atmosphere, shopping at otherwise..

[love roses]

Houston inner loop has some very cool shops. Lower Greenville in Dallas does too.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by inthecut

I think you find attitude at the national chains and big-boxes FAR more than the little places....many little places have family employees, or long-term workers, many of whom love their jobs....the bigbox employees are far more likely to be minimun-wage jockeys just clocking in....again, if you can even FIND an employee to help you....in a little place, you will ALWAYS be greeted by someone......I think most people here would agree that the warehouse experience is far more unfriendly and lacking ....

I have to disagree with you here. We've gotten far more attitude from "hip" servers at places like Chez Nous and South Congress Cafe than I can remember than getting at places like Denny's. Furthermore, you clearly have not worked for many mom and pop shops. I spent close to a decade in restaurants and the worst places to work were the mom and pops. Typically they had no benefits, they had no concept of labor regulations, and if the owner/manager was a complete a-hole you really had no recourse.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

I have to disagree with you here. We've gotten far more attitude from "hip" servers at places like Chez Nous and South Congress Cafe than I can remember than getting at places like Denny's. Furthermore, you clearly have not worked for many mom and pop shops. I spent close to a decade in restaurants and the worst places to work were the mom and pops. Typically they had no benefits, they had no concept of labor regulations, and if the owner/manager was a complete a-hole you really had no recourse.

LOL! so the answer to the "attitude" of the locally owned joints is to eat at Denny's? Bon appetit!...........

Yummmmmm! LOL!

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by inthecut

They are good! Try Greek pastries sometime..they are to die for...

No pastries for me but we did try Tino's(183 and Spicewood Springs?) for lunch today. Boy, that's a lot of food on a lunch 'plate'. Pretty tasty as long as you have some bread or some other item(steamed veggies for me) that don't ALL have the Greek seasonings. Zakia's on Parmer Ln up my way is pretty tasty also...Zakia has been there each time we've visited. Other locals up our way include Z Tejas and Waterloo(of the suburban variety).