I love small businesses. Mom and Pops are under siege. Are we stuck with Walmart?

COL Lee Flemming — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 10:19:36 -0400

It is hard not to love and appreciate someone that has dedicated their lives to their business, their customers and their community.

Response by TSgt Joe C. made Sep 4 at 2016 10:25 AM

TSgt Joe C. — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 10:25:04 -0400

I believe it's worth supporting the small, independent businesses COL Lee Flemming

Response by Maj Marty Hogan made Sep 4 at 2016 10:25 AM

Maj Marty Hogan — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 10:25:35 -0400

I know they have made a small comeback and then the talk of raising minimum wage comes up. My wife works in a small locally owned specialty shop. She could make more working at Taco Johns, but enjoys this retail niche. To keep up- the shop owner has to hire seasonal help around the holidays that seriously cuts her bottom line. Walmart will ultimately win as they have a larger base and cash pool.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 4 at 2016 12:48 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 12:48:19 -0400

No, we aren't. When The War Department and I go to Minnesota for the summer, there are endless small towns, with small town shops. The same back home in Iowa. Lots of small towns. Lots of small town stores. We can't help but shop at them. And there is the ubiquitous Wal-Mart, and we go there, too. But we feel that Mom and Pops are still viable as long as we help to make them so. Be assured, we will.

Response by SFC Pete Kain made Sep 4 at 2016 1:01 PM

SFC Pete Kain — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 13:01:59 -0400

Kind of depends where you live, here I use the mom & pop, just to avoid the trip to town. But when mom and pop get greedy all bets are off.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 4 at 2016 1:54 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 13:54:57 -0400

Once again there is a simple solution. Shop and buy from the Mom and Pop store.

Too many shop there then go buy at the big store.

Response by Sgt Christopher Wenzel made Sep 4 at 2016 3:41 PM

Sgt Christopher Wenzel — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 15:41:32 -0400

You're not stuck with Wal-Mart if you elect to shop else where, however, you cannot save a business on your own. It takes the community and the local legislature to lay out the rules for what "Super Stores" can sell. When we had a Wal-Mart invade my home town, the county would not let them build so long as they did not provide produce or automotive services.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Sep 4 at 2016 7:08 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 19:08:53 -0400

COL Lee Flemming In and around Southern California, Mom and Pop shops; drycleaners, small corner markets and liquor stores are primarily operated by immigrants who work long hours and are exposed to hold-ups, vandalism and outright theft. Mom and Pop can make a better living, easier, elsewhere.

As stated elsewhere, loyalty to small businesses can become expensive. In that vein, Trump's plans to bring jobs back to America will cause products to cost more. Any advantage of having a better paying job will vanish in the increased cost of living. I wish there were a good answer.

Response by SFC George Smith made Sep 4 at 2016 8:49 PM

SFC George Smith — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 20:49:49 -0400

Wal-Marts Targets Albertsons' and a Base Load more...

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Sep 4 at 2016 11:11 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 23:11:17 -0400

I hope not but not many Mom and Pops Left.

Response by MAJ Keira Brennan made Sep 5 at 2016 2:09 AM

MAJ Keira Brennan — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 02:09:21 -0400

Time to roll the dice sir.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 5 at 2016 10:20 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 10:20:21 -0400

full disclosure: I am from a a town of 12,000. The closest town to us had a population of 413.
When Wal-Mart came to town - we rejoiced. It brought items to us that were previously unavailable. they employed hundreds of people and offered upward mobility through their corporate ranks. Mom and Pops are cool, but they typically only hire family. There is no upward mobility if you're not family.
There is a place for them, think of Ace Hardware - their business actually went up after Home Depot and Lowes arrived.

Response by SPC James Harsh made Sep 5 at 2016 11:01 AM

SPC James Harsh — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 11:01:09 -0400

It's like when the big banks took out the little banks, the big companies with the aid of government bureaucracy (lobbyism+pay for play) are helping with this. It's socialism at play, when corporations and government are one and act separate. This is not capitalism or free market enterprise, this is corruption and pockets getting lined, policies to boot within every level of government. I'd blame it on Obamacare but it is much more of a problem than that. Again, Trump seems the only candidate willing to flat tax business at 15% and work towards cutting unnecessary bureaucracy. The Democrat way is to use welfare(debt) as a stimulus package, our country is teetering on the brink and the moms & pops stores show it.

Response by ENS Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 5 at 2016 6:51 PM

ENS Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 18:51:06 -0400

I avoid Walmart like the plague. I will support tiny home grown stores as often as I can. However, if eggs at Walmart of $3.89 and the same identical eggs are $7.99 at another store I will go to Walmart for eggs. Those are actual numbers here in Hawaii..

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Sep 6 at 2016 3:23 PM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:23:28 -0400

I love mom and pops too. The biggest issue I see when people discuss small businesses is that they use guilt to try and entice shoppers instead of trying to deliver superior product or service.

I'm sure we've all seen the graphic floating on the internet with a sign in front of a business that reads:

Every time you shop local, you're helping a father put food on the table or a girl take dancing lessons instead of a CEO buying his 3rd home.

My problem with this argument is that every large corporation started out as a small business. No one starts as a Fortune 500 business. They all start as some back alley/corner closet space with a dream and a lot of bills.

No we are not "stuck" with Walmart. We have Walmart thanks to a better business model. Instead of badmouthing successful businesses, maybe we should look at the struggling mom and pops and see how their businesses can be improved upon to become more successful.

Yes, I do know that corporate cronies help push legislation and regulations that are strangling the life out of small businesses... unfortunately whenever this argument is brought up, no one ever talks about that. Instead they say stupid stuff like "Nobody needs a billion dollars" and "the Waltons are only successful because they're greedy".

Just for an example, I'm a geek. I like comics. I like video games. These are things I really can't get at Walmart. Yes Walmart has video games, but they really only keep the most recent releases. Walmart is successful because they offer a variety. Sure their prices are "low" but realistically that doesn't even matter because you would shop there purely for the convenience of not having to go to another store.

So if Mom and Pops wants to be more successful, they need to see what it is that their competition is offering and seeing what it is that the customers are looking for.