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Wil Wheaton's Geek In Review: Save the Friendly Locals! »

Posted by: Wil 2 years, 10 months ago
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In an increasingly globalized world where vertically-integrated multi-national companies storm into communities, reduce our choices and homogenize our shopping experience, the Friendly Local Shop is an endangered species, and it's not just comic and book shops that are at risk.

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Wil

I was a Propeller Scout, and I ran the Geeks Group. AOL sent me to the land of Wind and Ghosts, though, so I don ...

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Comments: 21
  • Avg rating: (+0/-0 0)Shuffledog
    Shuffledog
    Jan. 24, 2007, 4:38 p.m.

    Dude, yeah. The guy who ran my comic shop when I was younger was awesome. Chat with everybody, point out things that are cool... it was a weekly experience.

    • Avg rating: (+0/-0 0)cthibodeau
      cthibodeau
      Jan. 24, 2007, 4:40 p.m.

      Unfortunately I have not been able to read it as of yet because, even though the page is supposedly safe for work, my employer blocks that website period (and puts up a nice bright red page to let you know you have been logged).

      • Avg rating: (+3/-2 1)AMDeitzler
        AMDeitzler
        Jan. 24, 2007, 9:38 p.m.

        Good story. I would have to say that this is true of many store types. I am a pet person, and small local pet shops are much better than the big mega-pet stores. I hate going to a store where some teenager is dipping fish out of a tank where half of them are dead and then putting it in a bag with a another fish that will probably kill it before the person gets it home. I like going somewhere where the people are knowledgeable about the product I am buying, whether it is a big purchase like electronics or funiture or small everyday things like groceries, I try to buy from smaller local stores when I can.

        • Avg rating: (+2/-0 2)Taganan
          Taganan
          Jan. 24, 2007, 10:25 p.m.

          Some types of stores are better if small and specialized. They will give better service and are more knowledgable. They are niche stores and cannot be forced out by Target, K-Mart, Kohl's, Wal-Mart or Cosco. Their prices may be a bit higher, but the quality is worth it.

          For mass merchandise the giant stores are great for lower prices. Without the big stores we would all be paying more for everything. Long live free market competition. A small clothing shop cannot compete in the same types of clothing, they have to carry what the big stores don't. Many established small shops cannot change or find that niche and go out of business. Tough cookies. We need the mix of all sizes of businesses.

          • Avg rating: (+6/-0 6)jwk3114
            jwk3114
            Jan. 25, 2007, 2:42 a.m.

            Sorry about all the idiot Digg users that have bashed your recent contributions. I use to love that sight but now it is just a bunch of idiots.

            • Avg rating: (+3/-0 3)cryssyer
              cryssyer
              Jan. 25, 2007, 7:52 a.m.

              Having recently moved, we have explored all the options at the big home improvement stores. There are somethings to be had there, but we found a quaint little hardware shop literally around the corner that not only offers all kinds of options, there are actually PEOPLE in the store that help you! Ditto for the local card store, book store, and "hole in the wall" games/computer store. I feel like we live in a small town instead of on the fringe of a huge city. Horray for the article!

              • Avg rating: (+1/-0 1)FMDk
                FMDk
                Jan. 25, 2007, 11:07 a.m.

                Yep, big brother has just in the last week blocked SG. Reason? Categorized as "Adult". Also any url that has "poker" or "trivia" in it. Category "Gaming" or "Gambling". It's getting really hard to slack off at work these days.

                • Avg rating: (+3/-0 3)Dionys
                  Dionys
                  Jan. 25, 2007, 11:58 a.m.

                  Remember there are always ways around IT.

                  • Avg rating: (+0/-0 0)ChristianZ
                    ChristianZ
                    Jan. 25, 2007, 3:03 p.m.

                    Sometimes it's good to bargain hunt but sometimes it's good to pay for quality.

                    • Avg rating: (+0/-0 0)Sidra
                      Sidra
                      Jan. 25, 2007, 6:37 p.m.

                      What a great reminder of the best reasons to avoid the big, impersonal chains, and shop local.

                      • Avg rating: (+14/-0 14)Catalytic
                        Catalytic
                        Jan. 26, 2007, 12:18 p.m.

                        Wil, I totally loved this article. It reminded me of the small strip-mall hobby shop that first stocked AD&D manuals in our little town... 'way back in 1978. We were just a bunch of annoying neighborhood kids that the owner/proprietor had to chase out more often than not. But he was always fair and reasonable about it, and when we wanted something he took pains to go out and get it for us. He had no illusions about where his money was coming from.

                        As I recall the same strip mall also held the local hardware store where the owner new most of his customers by name.

                        Now it's all Home Depots and Best Buys.

                        Still, in our city we have one of the most enduring "local" gamer stores I've ever seen, called The Sentry Box, and a lot of our gaming groups and clubs can trace our roots back to when we'd all started just by meeting there. Twenty years later and they're still going strong, and naturally my friends and I still shop there regularly.

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