GAP v. Bob's Army & Navy
Recently I read that GAP had a tough quarter (I think it's more like a tough decade) because sales are down, same store sales are flat, underwear sales are crusty...can't remember which sales report I read. It said that they had to open about a gazillion new stores during the holidays to keep up and make sure their shareholders are happy and not revolting. (Revolting shareholders is for another post...)
But I thought as I was reading this when did our economy get so dependent on greed? Was it always that way? When I was a kid and we went downtown to shop in Ossining, and the shops were open late one night a week and absolutely closed Sunday, did the merchants suffer? Did they make it because they were greedy or because they were small business people who did this for a living to feed their families and put a roof over their head?
When did we have to start promoting Black Friday starting on the 4th of July? And when did we begin watching companies figure out just how to get people to part with more of their money than they can afford to part with so they can survive?! I mean stores want you to part with your money because that's what they do, they sell stuff, that's why they exist. But to survive? Just to make it and keep the doors open?
My best friend has maintained his family business since just after he graduated from college. Bob's Army Navy Store is now more a clothing store than an army/navy because his clientele needs a place downtown in Ossining to shop for reasonably priced clothes and work boots. Neil has a good business. Along with his school teacher wife Jessica they have fed their family, housed them, sent the two boys to college and even had enough to go on vacation and buy a new car every once in a while. And Neil wouldn't know how to be greedy if he tried. He wouldn't think about the ways to get people to shop on Thanksgiving morning and Sunday at 3am...
So who's happier I ask you? The CEO of GAP who stays up nights worrying the shareholders (those revolting shareholders) are going to throw him out on his ass or Neil who watches his Yankees, kisses his wife good night and sleeps like a baby?
And which of those two is the quintissentional American merchant or business owner that the candidates on both sides of the aisle spend so much of their time extolling, Neil the small businessman or the shareholders of GAP and Walmart? When Romney or Obama go to New Hampshire do they go into the small cafe or the board room of LL Bean? It's always the cafe or small ice cream shop because it's the small shop that represents the heart of the American economy, not the mega stores.
Yet our economy is based on the success of the big boys. If same stores sales are down during the holidays every newspaper, web site and tv station in the country does a 'woe is me' story.
Just think about the stories during the holidays, they come in two categories mostly:
1. how many people are buying more stuff this year than last
2. which family is suffering because they don't have jobs and therefore the people need to help
Uh, any connection here? Is it just this guy with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education that sees a connection? Really, is it just me???
Greed is what it is. It's the same greed that makes them stay open all night and results in our country being owned by China.
I wonder what would happen if a whole bunch of us...a WHOLE bunch of us...began to only shop locally? What if we said we'll buy our clothes from the Bob's rather than Target, our food from the local food store rather than Wegmans or even our Christmas gifts from the locally owned pharmacy or five and dime rather than Walmart. Would it cost us more? Of course it would. Would it be more inconvenient? Of course it would and would we have to violate our oath at times? Yes, we would (where I live, Leesburg Va, there are no downtown clothing stores at all). But would it be worth a try?
Now I know some of you are going to tell me if we did that we would hurt the economy, we would make America weaker, we would threaten our 'way of life.'
Yea? What's your point?
But I thought as I was reading this when did our economy get so dependent on greed? Was it always that way? When I was a kid and we went downtown to shop in Ossining, and the shops were open late one night a week and absolutely closed Sunday, did the merchants suffer? Did they make it because they were greedy or because they were small business people who did this for a living to feed their families and put a roof over their head?
When did we have to start promoting Black Friday starting on the 4th of July? And when did we begin watching companies figure out just how to get people to part with more of their money than they can afford to part with so they can survive?! I mean stores want you to part with your money because that's what they do, they sell stuff, that's why they exist. But to survive? Just to make it and keep the doors open?
My best friend has maintained his family business since just after he graduated from college. Bob's Army Navy Store is now more a clothing store than an army/navy because his clientele needs a place downtown in Ossining to shop for reasonably priced clothes and work boots. Neil has a good business. Along with his school teacher wife Jessica they have fed their family, housed them, sent the two boys to college and even had enough to go on vacation and buy a new car every once in a while. And Neil wouldn't know how to be greedy if he tried. He wouldn't think about the ways to get people to shop on Thanksgiving morning and Sunday at 3am...
So who's happier I ask you? The CEO of GAP who stays up nights worrying the shareholders (those revolting shareholders) are going to throw him out on his ass or Neil who watches his Yankees, kisses his wife good night and sleeps like a baby?
And which of those two is the quintissentional American merchant or business owner that the candidates on both sides of the aisle spend so much of their time extolling, Neil the small businessman or the shareholders of GAP and Walmart? When Romney or Obama go to New Hampshire do they go into the small cafe or the board room of LL Bean? It's always the cafe or small ice cream shop because it's the small shop that represents the heart of the American economy, not the mega stores.
Yet our economy is based on the success of the big boys. If same stores sales are down during the holidays every newspaper, web site and tv station in the country does a 'woe is me' story.
Just think about the stories during the holidays, they come in two categories mostly:
1. how many people are buying more stuff this year than last
2. which family is suffering because they don't have jobs and therefore the people need to help
Uh, any connection here? Is it just this guy with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education that sees a connection? Really, is it just me???
Greed is what it is. It's the same greed that makes them stay open all night and results in our country being owned by China.
I wonder what would happen if a whole bunch of us...a WHOLE bunch of us...began to only shop locally? What if we said we'll buy our clothes from the Bob's rather than Target, our food from the local food store rather than Wegmans or even our Christmas gifts from the locally owned pharmacy or five and dime rather than Walmart. Would it cost us more? Of course it would. Would it be more inconvenient? Of course it would and would we have to violate our oath at times? Yes, we would (where I live, Leesburg Va, there are no downtown clothing stores at all). But would it be worth a try?
Now I know some of you are going to tell me if we did that we would hurt the economy, we would make America weaker, we would threaten our 'way of life.'
Yea? What's your point?
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