Can you have too many dollar stores in a small city like New Westminster?
Apparently, some people believe you can.
But if the city can't get the lapdancing palace on Columbia Street out, the chance of engineering dollar store limits seems unlikely.
Local resident Jen Arbo has a vision for a city populated with unique shops offering either local talent or local goods. She's right to have that vision.
We agree that a street lined with a great bakery, meat market, hardware store, shoe store and gelato place is enticing. It makes sense to build communities around these "boutique" models as part of a much more sustainable world. But is it really achievable in this economy?
Small, locally owned businesses are being squeezed to death between big box stores and dollar stores.
Local small business challenges are many. They not only have to often compete with products that are massproduced in China, but they also have to go above and beyond in customer service. When every returning customer is precious, personal service is vital.
Thankfully, New Westminster has a good number of merchants who manage to survive, if not thrive, relying on their good reputations, great service and quality products.
But it's not easy.
If you can get cheap bath salts at WalMart, cheap dishes at a dollar store and a month's supply of hamburger at Costco, why go to the cute little gift shop in Sapperton or the market by the river?
We, like Arbo, hope that shoppers consider what they are buying, and why. But we also know that we are in a "dollar-store economy," and there are many readers who share Arbo's vision but just don't have the economic ability to support it.
Dollar stores are thriving because they are cheap - and they also offer a quick "fix" for people who are addicted to shopping.
But surely, even in this economy, there is a limit. Isn't there?
