Smaller cities and towns with a large amount of local businesses/commerce (Home Depot, college)

[Taggerung]

What are some smaller towns and cities (metro population 500k or less) that have a relatively large amount of small, locally owned businesses and haven't had their heart and soul completely ripped out by Walmart, Target, and Amazon?

[turkeydance]

those are usually college towns.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by turkeydance

those are usually college towns.

This and a lot of more remote small towns/cities.

Are you looking for stores like the following stores?: https://www.oldforgehardware.com/

https://www.parryshamilton.com/

[turkeydance]

of course, college towns (with college students)
order online from Amazon or whatever is the current flavor.
they do not need Target or Walmart. they need Prime.
the downtown is for tourists and restaurants.
"oh, how quaint."

[NDFan]

Honestly, not many places anymore, unless it is a tourist destination for a larger city within a couple hours away.

[509]

I think the magic population number is less than 50,000 in the trading area.

We were under that number in 1985 and the only major chain store was K-Mart.

Once we crossed 50,000 every major chain....home depot, lowes, macy's, walmart, costco, etc. etc.

Even towns under 50,000 will now have a WalMart at minimum if they are tourist based, or have a large trading area.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Taggerung

What are some smaller towns and cities (metro population 500k or less) that have a relatively large amount of small, locally owned businesses and haven't had their heart and soul completely ripped out by Walmart, Target, and Amazon?

To that extent I don't think it's as dire as one might think. Metro areas that are rapidly growing of course are where the chain businesses are clamoring to open, while those with little to no population growth the past decade or two are more inclined to see much less happening. If looking at more specifics I would suggest metros over 500K like Youngstown OH, Scranton-Wiles Barre PA, Toledo OH, Springfield MA, Akron OH and Allentown-Bethlehem PA.

[Serious Conversation]

Asheville, NC metro is under 500k and has a strong emphasis on "local" things.

[sonofaque86]

Savannah/Hilton Head

[Citykid3785]

Sioux falls. But not necessarily from a retail perspective. But a thriving small business scene...