Buy small and local Hi everybody! - Coming from a tiny country like Austria, one might assume that globalisation is just a phenomenon tailored for larger nations, but no, it has also been affecting us all across Europe. Globalisation itself is of complex nature, and even though I'm not planning to write about globalisation per se today, it somehow dictates our overall shopping behavior by bringing in more and more big box chain stores worldwide which sets the general trend for methodically and eventually putting local small family- run as well as individualists' shops out of business. In the 70ies I remember mom and dad taking us along to a wide range of stores from the baker to the butcher, the grocer's, the florist, the hard ware place, the electrician, the tobacco store, etc. What great memories our weekly trips to the market created for us. There we would hand- pick fresh fruit, produce, and other delicacies. Sometimes we would even get a piece of fruit or a carrot for free because the vendors knew us kids. I recall small mom & pop- pastry shops, one- man gas stations, and movie theatres holding less than 50 people - all locally and family- run.
And frankly speaking, I love every tiny bit of memory I have about those golden times back then. Business in general has literally turned "depersonalized" even in my country, but what I have been seeing here first- hand, is just breaking my heart. In the past, my husband owned and ran several businesses which could not have been more diverse in nature. One of them was a flower shop back in the 90ies. Supermarkets started to first take his daily cash and carry, so he placed all his eggs in one basket primarily relying on special occasion sales such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter, Christmas, etc., but this was eventually taken away from him as well just like wedding and funeral business. Working in the construction business strikes a rather similar chord as a lot of work is seized by chains like Home Depot, Lowe's, and others. Of course, shopping malls such as Walmart, Price Chopper, Target, and so on are generally more convenient especially for lazy folks who just refuse to go multiple places to get their shopping done. And sure enough, I would be a hypocrite, were I to deny that I went there myself. Yes, we are lazy, too, at times, but we've been reversing our shopping habits to the good old days which means we prefer shopping at smaller and near- by places. We just love the fact that we do have a small grocer called Gabriel's here because time there seems to have stopped entirely. We appreciate their customer service a lot, and we certainly enjoy the peace and quiet away from those over- seized, hectic, and permanently packed shopping malls.
We should all step away from those mega markets and support our local communities by spending our money on family businesses. Seriously, there is no need at all for any more of those malls to be brought here along with increased crime, theft, and fraud. Sometimes I really wonder what kind of business will be swallowed next by those giant sharks. Don't be all too surprised to learn that your local funeral homes are closed as discounted caskets will be on display at Wally- World in aisle 6 one of these days.
And frankly speaking, I love every tiny bit of memory I have about those golden times back then. Business in general has literally turned "depersonalized" even in my country, but what I have been seeing here first- hand, is just breaking my heart. In the past, my husband owned and ran several businesses which could not have been more diverse in nature. One of them was a flower shop back in the 90ies. Supermarkets started to first take his daily cash and carry, so he placed all his eggs in one basket primarily relying on special occasion sales such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter, Christmas, etc., but this was eventually taken away from him as well just like wedding and funeral business. Working in the construction business strikes a rather similar chord as a lot of work is seized by chains like Home Depot, Lowe's, and others. Of course, shopping malls such as Walmart, Price Chopper, Target, and so on are generally more convenient especially for lazy folks who just refuse to go multiple places to get their shopping done. And sure enough, I would be a hypocrite, were I to deny that I went there myself. Yes, we are lazy, too, at times, but we've been reversing our shopping habits to the good old days which means we prefer shopping at smaller and near- by places. We just love the fact that we do have a small grocer called Gabriel's here because time there seems to have stopped entirely. We appreciate their customer service a lot, and we certainly enjoy the peace and quiet away from those over- seized, hectic, and permanently packed shopping malls.
We should all step away from those mega markets and support our local communities by spending our money on family businesses. Seriously, there is no need at all for any more of those malls to be brought here along with increased crime, theft, and fraud. Sometimes I really wonder what kind of business will be swallowed next by those giant sharks. Don't be all too surprised to learn that your local funeral homes are closed as discounted caskets will be on display at Wally- World in aisle 6 one of these days.
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