Community Chat

[On It]

Having been involved with local retail stores throughout my working life, I am hesitant to shop online. I would like to keep my spending local. With the onset of the pandemic I had to let go of some of my reservations.

I decided if a company had a local presence I could shop online with them. Costo, Sam's, Walmart, Target, etc. fit the bill. They had local stores, paid salaries, and were invested in the community.  QVC worked because it has a call center. I am still reluctant to use the huge sites that make no fianancial contribution to my area.

The service comapnies like Instacart do a double service because they are shopping locally, and I am paying a salary to the gig employee.

My biggest fear is that the smaller local merchants and restaurantss will vanish, so I try to support them whenever possible. 

[mimomof4]

I see that your heart is in the right place, however, shopping online does not help your local stores.  Foot Traffic and cash register sales are the only thing that helps keep your local stores open.

Shopping online at Target does not help my local target stay in business.  Target Corp doesn't care about the online dollars that come from your city to their website when it decides what stores to keep open.  My walking in the door keep them in business.  In all honesty in order to save myself money at Target oftentimes I do order pick up.

Our local businesses need all of us to spend money at their stores.  Many of my local stores will take orders over the phone and deliver to a car if someone doesn't feel comfortable walking in a store.

[Johnnyeager]

I don't quite understand the QVC call center aspect. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic Qurate customer service representatives have been working from home, and Mike George has said that this will continue indefinitely. 

[On It]

---

@Johnnyeager wrote:

I don't quite understand the QVC call center aspect. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic Qurate customer service representatives have been working from home, and Mike George has said that this will continue indefinitely. 

---

It is about the salaries they are paying local citizens. The same for the big box stores. They do pay salaries and collect state tax. They provide some input into the economy.

[Marp]

---

@On It wrote:

Having been involved with local retail stores throughout my working life, I am hesitant to shop online. I would like to keep my spending local. With the onset of the pandemic I had to let go of some of my reservations.

I decided if a company had a local presence I could shop online with them. Costo, Sam's, Walmart, Target, etc. fit the bill. They had local stores, paid salaries, and were invested in the community.  QVC worked because it has a call center. I am still reluctant to use the huge sites that make no fianancial contribution to my area.

The service comapnies like Instacart do a double service because they are shopping locally, and I am paying a salary to the gig employee.

My biggest fear is that the smaller local merchants and restaurantss will vanish, so I try to support them whenever possible. 

---

@On It,  that is not necessarily true.  If you are referring to sites like Amazon for the most part the company is simply a conduit for smaller businesses, mom and pop businesses, local businesses that may or may not have a traditional storefront.

Yes, Amazon still makes money by being a conduit but it also gives a means of support to the businesses that sell through Amazon.

If you search for items on other sites, Walmart for example, a lot of what they have listed also originates from third party vendors.

[Johnnyeager]

So, doesn't every online retailer employ customer service representatives and warehouse employees?  

[On It]

---

@Johnnyeager wrote:

So, doesn't every online retailer employ customer service representatives and warehouse employees?  

---

Not in my geographic area.

[Still Raining]

One good way to support local is to get vaccinated.  And your family and friends and store employees.  Once we are safe, you bet we will get out there!

[Kachina624]

@On It    If your locals disappear, it will most likely not be from lack of your support but because they can't hire employees to work in their businesses due to the generous unemployment benefits former workers are receiving. 

This morning I heard the owner of a local fine restaurant chain complaining that he is only opening limited hours because he can't get workers.  By the time the extended benefits end in September, he said he'll be out of business.

Many small businesses here have the same complaint but I spoke to a Walmart manager a few days ago and he said the exact same thing.  They're hiring but not getting applicants.

By the way, almost all of the big chains including Walmart and Target, contribute generously to local Charities. 

[suzyQ3]

---

@Kachina624 wrote:

@On It    If your locals disappear, it will most likely not be from lack of your support but because they can't hire employees to work in their businesses due to the generous unemployment benefits former workers are receiving. 

This morning I heard the owner of a local fine restaurant chain complaining that he is only opening limited hours because he can't get workers.  By the time the extended benefits end in September, he said he'll be out of business.

Many small businesses here have the same complaint but I spoke to a Walmart manager a few days ago and he said the exact same thing.  They're hiring but not getting applicants. 

---

@Kachina624, if that is even accurate, it would be just one of many other reasons for any difficulties in finding workers. The one you mention, though, does nicely fit a certain political agenda.