Think locally, act locally

I recently ran into a customer at a Blue Island Park District event and she confided that since she started reading my articles, she feels guilty if she spends money outside Blue Island. She has begun to stop and think about whether or not she can find what she needs right here at home. Another person that I explained the spend $5.00 a day in Blue Island theory to remarked that it reminded her of Rudy Giuliani’s speech after 9/11 in which he urged New Yorkers to get out and shop as if nothing had ever happened.
It is not my intention to make people feel guilty. I know that many things are not available here, so if you have to shop elsewhere for what you need, then do it, guilt free. And I certainly don’t advocate shopping just for the sake of shopping. That is irresponsible. What I am trying to say is that like my customer mentioned above, we should think before we shop. Is what we want available here, or might it be if we looked around?
Many people I know, including myself, make trips out to Trader Joe’s in Orland Park because they have very unusual, hard to find, and delicious foods. Not to mention the fabulous two-buck-chuck wine. I’ve been taking a closer look around Blue Island and I think we may have Trader Joe’s beat.
At Stefanelli and Sons, 13012 Western, you can find wonderful homemade pumpkin ravioli in the frozen food section for $4.95.
At Iversen’s Bakery, 12948 Western, try the Chocolate Pecan Delight cake for $5.50.
If you were disappointed in the flavor of your Thanksgiving turkey, try ordering a fresh turkey for Christmas from The Corner Store, 12458 Maple. They get their turkeys from Ho-Ka Farms and they have the flavor you remember from years past. Ho-Ka only sells to independent grocery stores, so you won’t find them just anywhere. As an added bonus, Ho-Ka Farms is right here in Illinois so you are supporting local economy twice!
Dieting? Pick up a can of Dolores brand tuna with vegetables for $1.29 at Joe’s Fruit Market, 12958 Western. It adds just the variety you may be looking for.
All of these places are less than a mile apart, so think of the gas you’re saving. For the average person in Blue Island, Trader Joe’s is about 23 miles round trip. That’s roughly a gallon gas, or about $3.00. Not to mention your time. Might I suggest that you take that $3.00, add it to the $2.99 for a bottle of two-buck-chuck, and buy yourself a nicer bottle of wine from Korbakes Wine & Liquors, 12747 Western, Miska’s Liquor Store, 12435 Western, or Stefanelli and Sons, as mentioned above.
If you’re looking for a quicker and easier way to spend your $5.00 today, stop at one of the following stores and buy a chance on a gift basket. Proceeds benefit the Forum newspaper, which is delivered FREE to every address in Blue Island.
Back in Action Wellness Center – 12757 S Western Avenue
CARR home-garden-holiday – 13114 S Western Avenue
Complete Tranquility Salon & Spa – 2824 W 127th Street
D’Masti Catering Inc. – 11915 S Western Avenue
El Ranchito Produce, Meat & Grocery – 12742 S Western Avenue
Flowers by Cathé – 13022 S Western Avenue
Iversen’s Bakery – 12948 S Western Avenue
Jebens Hardware – 13311 S Olde Western Avenue
Korbakes Wine & Liquors – 12747 S Western Avenue

I’ll see you on Western,
Candace Carr

To the Merchants

Just the other day we visited PetSmart, looking for aquarium gravel. The type we needed was out of stock, although it is not unusual. We asked when they would be getting more and were told “We get deliveries every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” We returned a week later and found that there was still no gravel. We asked for the manager, who informed us that the gravel was ordered by computer, and she would have to check when it was due. Ten minutes later she returned and told us that it showed on a plan-o-gram for delivery in two weeks, they have little control over their stock.
This got me thinking about big business vs. small business. It seems that big business would have all the advantages; money, corporate support, a team of strategists. Certainly, there must be advantages for us small business owners to take advantage of. I turned this over in mind for awhile and came up with these three advantages we have over big stores.
We have windows.
We know our customers.
We are able to order in small quantities.
We have windows. The big box stores are called that because from the outside they just look like big boxes. No one stops to window shop when they go to Kohl’s or Target or Walmart. Window shopping used to be a national pastime. As merchants, we can help beautify our downtown area, increase foot traffic, and improve our own sales by keeping up our windows.
We know our customers. When was the last time you walked into Menard’s and someone said, “Hi, Bill! How are you? How’s that new car?” Um....maybe never? The big stores don’t know you and couldn’t possibly know everyone that walked through the door. Even my 13 year old granddaughter can see that they aren’t very welcoming, even if they do hand you a shopping cart. No one is fooled when they check the name on your credit card and then say, “Thank you for shopping at our K-Mart, Mrs. Smith.”
We are able to order in small quantities. Back to PetSmart. No doubt they have to wait until the order is large enough to bring in a truckload of aquarium gravel. That’s the only way to keep their prices down. That’s why our prices are a little higher, but our flexibility can’t be beat. If we need an item, we can probably order 6 or 12 or maybe even only one. If Target wants to test market an item they probably have to order at least 1,000 so that they can gauge public interest. We can order a dozen or two and figure out pretty fast if it’s an item that will work for us.
We have a lot of other advantages. We don’t have to wait for an executive decision, or a committee, or the purchasing department. A small business consultant once told me, “Small businesses can turn on a dime. Turning a big business is like trying to turn an ocean liner.”
Let’s use our advantages to better our city, create a welcoming atmosphere, and offer a wider variety of products to our customers.