Not a day goes by that a customer or a friends asks me if Wegmans is going to hurt my business, and my reply is always the same; “I sure hope not.” Over the past 20 years we have experienced the decimation of small businesses by the “big box” stores. Think about that for a moment. If you’re a baby boomer like me you can probably still remember the local grocer, butcher, hardware store etc.
Growing up in Wilmington, I can recall the IGA Grocery store across the street from our home on Lancaster Ave. I can also recall the local pharmacy with the soda fountain, the local convenience store (Tony Angelo’s) and many more small business that were run by families that lived right in our neighborhood. All were within walking distance, and my parents felt safe knowing that the store owners would always have an eye out for our safety. In fact below our home, my mother had a beauty salon and my father had a restaurant where me and my two brothers could always be found helping out. I guess that’s where I picked the cooking bug…
Over the years I watched as small businesses around the country felt the stress of the huge box stores and huge franchises like Home Depot, Olive Garden and Costco. Many of those small businesses were forced to close because they just could not compete. I had a restaurant in Wilmington for 10 years and I ended up closing because I could not compete with the chains. They could streamline costs by purchasing in large quantities and by cutting labor since many of their offering are pre-made off site.
As a Chef, I could not stomach the food or the service that these places offered, and I could never understand how their parking lots could be full while my place suffered. And this problem was not restaurant specific – it was the same with all small businesses, from the local bakery to the local hardware store.
The good news is that I think the “tide is changing” or the “pendulum is swinging”. I think that more and more consumers are aware of the many benefits that small business can offer if price alone is not the main reason for a purchase. Here are some reasons why supporting small businesses in your community will help support you.
Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.
Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.
Where we shop, where we eat and have fun, all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of our community.
Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.
Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.
Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.
A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.
So as we wait in great anticipation for the grand opening of another super grocery store; I hope that people will not forget to support their neighbors who work hard every day to support their family and their community.
Chef Anthony Stella
Chadds Ford Township
(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)
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