Walmart in your small town.....any opinions??? (Sandpoint: home, neighborhood)

[cleatis]

Originally Posted by sfrancis

I have traveled to Northern Idaho 3 times in the last year. Absolutely love it! The people, the small town frendliness, the GREEN. OMG, the green. Anyway, I live in the Mojave desert, also in a small town, and love the small town feel. Lots of mom&pop shops, etc. Long story short, they are planning to build a Walmart right across from our local high school, in a very nice rural area here and people are up in arms. We just dont want it (we already have 4 Walmarts within 5-20 miles!!!), and are fighting it. Im afraid that no matter how much we fight, it will go in anyways and ruin our rural hometown atmosphere.

While I was in Sandpoint (I believe) I remember seeing a Walmart there and was surprised. Im wondering, did people in Sandpoint WANT a Walmart? Did anyone fight it?

I'm in the Nampa/Caldwell area which at the time neither were really a small town but by no means a huge city. Wal-mart came in and I remember a few people fighting it - but given the political atmosphere of the area they just got called hippies and crap like that. For the most part there wasn't much hubub that I remember, but the businesses that were nearby struggled and most of them went broke and closed down. For the most part the only business that really felt no effect were the ones that specialized in something that Wallies couldn't (didn't) offer.

Around about the same time there were ideas to revamp the old downtown parts of both towns (It was getting a little seedy, especially in Caldwell) and they started in on it. They did a lot of work and realy cleaned up in there and for the most part it was a sucess (a different few will disagree with each kind of change). It was slow to get more people in downtown and eventually Walmart just became the norm and the new wore off. More people went to downtown businesses, but I especially notice more people there, now that money is tight, just enjoyng themselves.

I really think that the transition didn't hurt that much because the area grew so much so fast. I came from a smaller town before wallies opened there and now it's flat-line dead for all practical purposes the town is in a state of depression. Whether or not wal mart is to blame I can't say, but I don't see how it could have helped becuse more people lost jobs than wallies hired on - and most of them were small business in which the owners didn't get paid by the hour.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by sfrancis

I have traveled to Northern Idaho 3 times in the last year. Absolutely love it! The people, the small town frendliness, the GREEN. OMG, the green. Anyway, I live in the Mojave desert, also in a small town, and love the small town feel. Lots of mom&pop shops, etc. Long story short, they are planning to build a Walmart right across from our local high school, in a very nice rural area here and people are up in arms. We just dont want it (we already have 4 Walmarts within 5-20 miles!!!), and are fighting it. Im afraid that no matter how much we fight, it will go in anyways and ruin our rural hometown atmosphere.

While I was in Sandpoint (I believe) I remember seeing a Walmart there and was surprised. Im wondering, did people in Sandpoint WANT a Walmart? Did anyone fight it?

OK......Well I'll take your Walmart. I am in a town where there is no stores. We need a Walmart.
I think that they don't realize that our town has many, many, lake communities that use it. Just for fast foods, car shopping, and groceries...
It won't ruin the Mom and Pop stores because we just don't have any....
Our Walmarts are a good 45 min. drive at the least.......
So just send one here.......Tell them to head to Brodheadsville, PA.

[mistyriverranch]

I'm not overly fond of WalMart and I avoid it whenever possible but I have to say that I'm not impressed with the stores in downtown Sandpoint much anymore.
The past few times I've been shopping on First Street I was surprised at how unfriendly the shopkeepers were. In the Artist's Cooperative, Snow River, Fritz's FryPan, Cabin Fever, Scandinavian Affaire, and a few others...I was barely or not at all acknowledged when we entered the store; even though we were usually the only customers in there! I tried to buy a pair of Filson's boots at Larson's and couldn't get the girl in teh shoe department to wait on me (on the phone for 20 minutes). I finally walked out and then called the owner who wasn't particularly surprised nor apologetic. (We ended up buying White's boots in Spokane--GREAT company!)
You'd think in the present economy, small businesses would be tripping all over themselves to be courteous to customers and not drive them awaylet alone allow employees to park in front taking up rare First Street parking spaces and I've decided that if they don't want my business...I'll take it to the internet or Spokane.
Oh yeah..two stores who did trip all over themselves to help me: Finan McDonald's and Coldwater Creek.

[SacTown11]

Originally Posted by mistyriverranch

I'm not overly fond of WalMart and I avoid it whenever possible but I have to say that I'm not impressed with the stores in downtown Sandpoint much anymore.
The past few times I've been shopping on First Street I was surprised at how unfriendly the shopkeepers were. In the Artist's Cooperative, Snow River, Fritz's FryPan, Cabin Fever, Scandinavian Affaire, and a few others...I was barely or not at all acknowledged when we entered the store; even though we were usually the only customers in there! I tried to buy a pair of Filson's boots at Larson's and couldn't get the girl in teh shoe department to wait on me (on the phone for 20 minutes). I finally walked out and then called the owner who wasn't particularly surprised nor apologetic. (We ended up buying White's boots in Spokane--GREAT company!)
You'd think in the present economy, small businesses would be tripping all over themselves to be courteous to customers and not drive them awaylet alone allow employees to park in front taking up rare First Street parking spaces and I've decided that if they don't want my business...I'll take it to the internet or Spokane.
Oh yeah..two stores who did trip all over themselves to help me: Finan McDonald's and Coldwater Creek.

Maybe these shop owners all got stimulus checks and no longer need to worrya bout turning a profit. The government just gives them money for doing nothing.

[Jarndyce]

WalMart is a garbage corporation unworthy of anyone's patronage.

[SacTown11]

Originally Posted by Jarndyce

WalMart is a garbage corporation unworthy of anyone's patronage.

I can see you are objective and that your judgment is not clouded by emotion. lol You may think that, but others are free to see Wal-Mart as a source of employment, good deals, and convenience. Are they just red neck inbred morons or are they allowed to believe in something you personally despise?

btw, I do not disagree with you...I think Wal-Mart is a well run business with some of the most worthless crap ever built stocked on its shelves. It is wholly unworthy of my patronage...except, that is, when forced to do a secret Santa at my place of employ. lol

Let freedom reign!

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Wal Mart is responsible for much of my business.. Some people are sick of disposable junk, and still want something made by human hands out of the best materials available. That being said I do like to get bargains on stuff that is disposable no matter how well its made 35-40 mins. away from my place in NID is close enough. I wouldnt really want one in my small town.

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by sfrancis

I have traveled to Northern Idaho 3 times in the last year. Absolutely love it! The people, the small town frendliness, the GREEN. OMG, the green. Anyway, I live in the Mojave desert, also in a small town, and love the small town feel. Lots of mom&pop shops, etc. Long story short, they are planning to build a Walmart right across from our local high school, in a very nice rural area here and people are up in arms. We just dont want it (we already have 4 Walmarts within 5-20 miles!!!), and are fighting it. Im afraid that no matter how much we fight, it will go in anyways and ruin our rural hometown atmosphere.

While I was in Sandpoint (I believe) I remember seeing a Walmart there and was surprised. Im wondering, did people in Sandpoint WANT a Walmart? Did anyone fight it?

Sounds like what happened years ago in the smallish town I grew up in. Walmart is only the beginning. Home Depot, Applebees, and all the usual suspects will follow. They ended up building Walmart and all the rest in my town. As you can probably guess the downtown is completely dead these days, complete with deterioration of the surrounding neighborhoods. Most of the mom&pop businesses are no longer. Continue to fight against the big box stores and keep your town nice! This is a common occurrence all across the country

[boisefan88]

Originally Posted by 5Lakes

Sounds like what happened years ago in the smallish town I grew up in. Walmart is only the beginning. Home Depot, Applebees, and all the usual suspects will follow. They ended up building Walmart and all the rest in my town. As you can probably guess the downtown is completely dead these days, complete with deterioration of the surrounding neighborhoods. Most of the mom&pop businesses are no longer. Continue to fight against the big box stores and keep your town nice! This is a common occurrence all across the country

I agree fully.

It's sad that you can travel across the country and never realize it anymore, because everything looks the same now.

[boisefan88]

Originally Posted by mistyriverranch

I'm not overly fond of WalMart and I avoid it whenever possible but I have to say that I'm not impressed with the stores in downtown Sandpoint much anymore.
The past few times I've been shopping on First Street I was surprised at how unfriendly the shopkeepers were. In the Artist's Cooperative, Snow River, Fritz's FryPan, Cabin Fever, Scandinavian Affaire, and a few others...I was barely or not at all acknowledged when we entered the store; even though we were usually the only customers in there! I tried to buy a pair of Filson's boots at Larson's and couldn't get the girl in teh shoe department to wait on me (on the phone for 20 minutes). I finally walked out and then called the owner who wasn't particularly surprised nor apologetic. (We ended up buying White's boots in Spokane--GREAT company!)
You'd think in the present economy, small businesses would be tripping all over themselves to be courteous to customers and not drive them awaylet alone allow employees to park in front taking up rare First Street parking spaces and I've decided that if they don't want my business...I'll take it to the internet or Spokane.
Oh yeah..two stores who did trip all over themselves to help me: Finan McDonald's and Coldwater Creek.

I think that big box retail in the past 20 years has just changed the name of the game. It's not quality it's quantity, and that goes for the service.

I think that it's become engrained in us, to the point we don't expect it when we go shopping, and are a little annoyed by it when we do get it in those big box stores.

I think that employees at small businesses just don't know any better anymore.

It's funny, but if you go to a small town that doesn't have many or any chain stores, you tend to find extremely great service. It's like walking back 40 years.