Just don't tell me there is nothing in Philipsburg...

You can make all the excuses you want for not shopping locally, just don't tell me its because there is nothing here. I drove through many small communities this weekend as my 9 year old and I meander back roads on our way to a basketball tournament. It made me realize how lucky we, here in Philipsburg, are to have as much as we do. Some of these older, small towns are practically ghost towns. Goes back to a principal I believe with my whole heart- we need to support the businesses we have or we will end up like those other little towns! 

 No joke, I shop in the "greater" Philipsburg area 90-95% of the time. And I try really hard to do it at locally owned businesses. If I can’t do that, I at least try to stay in town. A small consolation when I have to shop a chain is that local “Big Box” is employing my friends and neighbors. Granted, I am NOT a huge shopper. Not for lack of trying (thanks Ryan) but I do have 3 children who need new clothes and shoes when they out grow them, they need food and medicines weekly, their friends have birthdays for which I must provide a gift, I need gas to run them around, and they will break my kitchens chairs and I will need new ones, and I can do all of those things here. I wouldn’t say I shop a lot, but when I do, I try to do it here. I know you can’t always but if you do it when you can we all win.  

I recognize that you cannot always shop local. Something I cannot find/cannot be bought in Philipsburg- Beyblades and Star Wars Galactic Heroes, two things my boys MUST have, lol. I will buy all my Easter candy at Gardner's, get all my prescriptions from Grattan's. My kids favorite choice for pizza is Brother's. Chinese- Main Won. We LOVE the Rowland and and whoopie pies from the Farmers' market. Chicken fries at the Gaslight (while I have the BEST salad ever) and the Little Restaurant for "the mess" for breakfast. Bock's has the best french onion soup in the world and The 1921 in the Philips Hotel offers fantastic seafood! Seriously, why would I go anywhere else? Off the top of my head, these are things you can do just in downtown Philipsburg and I am sure I have missed some. I am also pretty sure a lot of other towns would he thankful to have a list like this.

What can you do in downtown Philipsburg?

Drycleaning… Marrara’s and Shamrock
Auto Repair/Towing… Price Parkway, Choice Bumper, Flathead Dan's
Food… Bock’s Dining and Tea Room, Snappy’s, Subway, Minit Mart, Brother’s, Main Won, Little Restaurant, Retro Eatery, Gaslight Café, 1921 in the Philips Hotel, BTO
Hair- Jackie Mostyn’s, Elaine Adams, Sharon and Kelly’s, Sarah Miller, Bill Spanogle
Retail… Bock’s Village Store, Grattan’s, National Furniture, Gardner’s, Front Street Jewelers, PSR, Rothrock’s, Transfer Express, Jackie’s Vintage Hairloom, Olenick’s Printing, Steiners’ Hometown Appliance, Dollar General, The Gaslight Café, Elaine’s Beauty Salon, Wicker and Brass Works, Katey’s Korner, Universal Furniture, Universal Square, Ricotta Jewelry, Fisher Auto Parts, Philipsburg Electric, Bordas TV & Electronics, YBC, Weis Markets, Philipsburg Electric
Entertainment/Recreation/Fitness… The Rowland Theatre, Shaw and Ghaner School of Dance, DJ Studios Karate, Williams’ Billiards, Curves, Ultimate Weight Loss Center
Doctors…
---2 Podiatrists
---Psychiatrists- Dr. Mary Hart; Spaw Counseling Services
---Dentists- Dr. Piniuk, Dr. Chintella, Dr. Mackin, Dr Irwin
---Chiropractors- Casteel Chiropractic
---Ophthalmologists- Central Penn Vision
County/State Government/Non-Profits- Philipsburg, Historical Foundation, Senator John Wozniak, Stat Rep Conklin, Holt Memorial Library, Tapestry of Heath, WIC, Community Action, Philipsburg Area Daycare, Philipsburg Elks, Philipsburg Masonic Lodge, Philipsburg Main Street Program, VFW, AMVETS, Moshannon Valley EMS, Hope Fire Company, Reliance Fire Company, United States Post Office,
Attorneys…Mason Law Offices, DeBoef & Lucchesi, Joann Y. Parks Mackin, John Carfley, The Closing Company
Insurance… All-State, Nationwide, Simler Insurance, Jones Insurance, State Farm Insurance
Professional Offices… Professional Satellite Repair, Surferquest, ECMG Marketing
Banking… M&T Bank, CNB Bank
Financial Services/Accounting… Pappalia Financial, Central PA Tax Doctors, H& R Block, Jackson Hewitt
Newspapers…The Philipsburg Journal, The Progress
Churches- First Lutheran, St Thomas of Canterbury
Other… Jay Krause, Hurwitz Brothers, Guenot Builders, The Towers, Philips Place, Philips Court, RP Supply, 

I honestly shop local as much as I can

I have wanted to talk about local shopping opportunities for awhile and it occurred to me this weekend (as I was shopping) that maybe the best way for me to do that is to talk about where I shop locally and what I buy there.

I will preface this by saying that I don't shop a lot. Not only is retail therapy not in my budget most weeks, but it isn't something I enjoy that much. I am sort of a "get in, get what you need, get out" kind of person. However, this weekend I had to pick up prescriptions. I get our's filled at our local, independent, downtown pharmacy. Grattan's Pharmacy and Gifts in downtown Philipsburg. I got groceries at Weis this weekend too. Now, I am aware Weis is not locally owned, but it IS in our Main Street District and the store employs a lot of local folks. Friday I ate lunch at The Gaslight Cafe. I also stopped in and got a few things at the Dollar General. Again, I know this is not a local company, but our Dollar General is downtown and generates (by our counts) about 35 people an hour. They too employ locals and if they are that much of a destination all of our businesses benefit. Better than visiting the Family Dollar in the plaza, in my mind at least. Last, but not least, I visited our locally owned distributor for a case of my favorite brew.

So, you can see that I didn't shop a ton, but I put money in the registers of businesses that are going to turn around and pay wages with my money this week or spend that money at other locally owned businesses. Next time you get in your car to go out of town to do these things, challenge yourself to find it locally. It matters!

High Cost of Low Prices

So I watched the video today, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices. The video is from 2006 but is in the news again because Wal-Mart is trying to build inner city stores in New York City. As usual, Wal-Mart is saying they will create 1200 new jobs and generate $10 million in tax revenue. These are true but they are misleading. What they don't tell you is, for every job they create 1 1/2-2 jobs will be lost in the community because other businesses will close. They also omit the fact that these tax revenues aren't new, they are just being shifted from other businesses. Not to mention, real estate values will plummet causing a decrease in property tax revenue.

As Al Norman (founder of Sprawl-Busters) says in the film "They (Wal-Mart) don't get it. When we start talking about quality of life, they start talking about cheap underwear. I keep saying, you can't buy small town quality of life at a Wal-Mart. They don't sell it. But, once they steal it from you, you can't get it back at any price."

Need a local example of this? Clearfield, PA. Clearfield "welcomed" their Wal-Mart Supercenter over a decade ago.Today, there is no place to buy groceries except Wal-Mart and their downtown and other locally owned businesses are struggling. Because everything in Clearfield has closed, and Wal-Mart has no competition, their prices are really high! People think they are getting choice when Wal-Mart comes to town. People think they are getting a "great deal" on stuff. Trust me, once the competition is gone, we all pay more!

I would encourage anyone to watch the documentary, you can find it here: http://thefightback.org/2011/02/yes-says-no-to-walmart/

As a Main Street manager I hear all the time that there is "no where to shop" in town. 9 times out of 10, I can point out at least three places that that person has never heard of or stepped inside of before. It isn't that the places aren't here, it is that people don't seek them out. Thanks to the proliferation of the automobile, our society is used to jumping in the car driving to a mall or shopping center, parking, and walking from store to store. We don't seem care that it is a generic experience, basically the exact experience we can get at any mall or shopping center. We are willing to spend our valuable time and gas money driving there for this generic experience too. Boggles my mind. Some people cite cost, getting the "best deal". Yeah, it makes sense to drive over an hour round trip and spent $3.15 per gallon on fuel to save $3.00 sure... (READ- sarcasm). But until people's mind set changes this will continue. I wish there was an easy way to demonstrate to people how important their spending decisions are...

I swear I am not an extremist just passionate

First of all, let me explain where I am coming from on this. As I see it, thanks to stores like Wal-Mart we, as Americans, have become brainwashed about what we NEED. There is a huge difference between what we NEED versus what we WANT. And, frankly, places like Wal-Mart have made all of us feel like we need so much more than we do. It is no wonder we are in a mess with foreclosures and people in over there heads in credit card debt. Americans believe we NEED to have things that we don't really NEED, we merely WANT them. I can get everything I NEED within a 3 miles radius of my home. That includes schooling and doctors. Even without a vehicle or public transportation, I can get all of my (and my family's) NEEDS met. I realize that everyone is going to buy those WANTS too. My boys collect Star Wars Galactic Heroes and believe me you cannot find those anywhere within a 20 miles radius. Obviously, sometimes you have to shop somewhere else, but this is about being conscious about where you spend your money.  And about trying to spend it in locally owned, independent businesses when you can because it has an impact on your community. But, do people really understand the impact they have when they shop? I would say most don't so let me provide a few facts that demonstrate this impact. 

Let's aim to improve the economic health of our neighborhoods, our localities and our shopping corridors.

1. Shopping local creates jobs. Shops in your town create local employment and self-employment. These people in turn spend in the local economy.
2. Local independent shops invest more in your communities. Local businesses are proportionally more generous in their support of local charities, schools, and community events. So supporting local shops means a financial contribution to your community.
3. Local shops sell great products at affordable prices. Some people get out of the habit of shopping locally and are then surprised by the range of products available.
4. Shopping locally saves you time and money. You travel less, saving on time and fuel.
5. Shopping locally retains your communities. People don’t like losing shops and services in small towns but don’t equate this with how they spend their money.
6. Shopping locally retains your distinctiveness. Independent shops create distinctive shopping experiences and stock different products. Local businesses respond more quickly to the needs of local customers, stocking products to meet changing population needs.
7. Shopping locally saves the environment. Local shops often stock a high percentage of locally sourced goods that do not require long-distance transportation, helping to reduce our global footprint.
8. Local shops are for everyone. Most people can get to their local shops easily. This is especially important for the elderly, young people and others who rely on public transportation.
9. Local shops value you more. Evidence from numerous surveys show people receive better customer care and service locally. These businesses survive by their reputation and repeat business, which means you get a higher standard of service.
10. Shopping local saves services. Private and public sector services cluster around shops. As shops disappear so do hairdressers, banks, restaurants and other businesses.

Consumers can pledge to Think, Shop, Buy, Local and commit to patronizing businesses near where they live and work. Local stores employ your neighbors, pay taxes that support your schools and improve your roads, and contribute to local non-profit groups.

Together we can strengthen relationships that improve our quality of life. So next time before you make a purchase, Think, Shop, Buy, Local.

Credit: Barbara Wold
Barbara Wold is an internationally known speaker and authority to the retail and consumer industries.  More than 40 years of firsthand retail experience in executive and sales management,marketing and repositioning have made Ms Wold as one of retail's most sought after speakers and consultants.  Ms Wold is an authority on building business through customer driven strategy and maximizing human assets.

I am a Downtown Dork and I am proud of it!

My name is Emily and I love downtowns! I love locally owned, independent businesses. I literally get sick in the stomach when someone tells me they are headed to Sam's Club. And I get very offended when people say there is no where to shop in our small town. It isn't just that managing a downtown revitalization program is my job, though that is part of it. And it isn't just that I was born and raised in a small historic community, though that is part of it too. I think I am a downtown dork because I truly feel it is important. It is important to our towns. It is important to our business owners. It is important to our quality of life. So, I have made this blog to talk about why shopping local is important and to try and demonstrate the impact that local spending has on our communities. I have no idea where it will lead, but I feel driven to put it out there. So, I hope you read it. I hope you follow it. And I hope that somehow I can make a difference.