Trip to local Orchard Supply store

[Norm]

So I took a trip to my local Orchard Supply store over the weekend.

I like this store. The people there are helpful, pretty much everyone knows every corner of the store. I am always happy to go there because I can usually find whatever I need for gardening at one place with several choices of products.

This time however, I started looking around and had this sense of gloom overcome me that this business may not make it. It was a sad feeling. For a business with people who love what they do to lose out to Walmart and online shopping is just very defeating. I think there should be a way for specialty businesses to beat the Big Box and discount stores if they hit the right spots whatever that is for a given market. I wonder what those would be for a gardening supply business. What would you do if you were the owner of such a business ? E.g. mom and pops with their local connect and service all but ended Starbucks' run in Australia where they closed down all but a few of their stores and are now attempting another go at it.

I understand all the free market stuff but maybe size of businesses should attract additional taxes, after all economies of scale are simply obliterating competition in many market segments.

Just a few musings...

Norm

 

[Greenhorn]

I visit one here and do like going there. I do not see many customers when I go, but lots of store personnel. The stores are well kept and in the nursery area all the plants typically look very good. The store here has hardware - power tools up in a loft like area which is not so good. I see it as a boutique type home improvement - garden center. I like them and hope they can keep going too.

So here is the deal, they are owned by Lowe's. Below is part of the history from wiki.

After starting as a non-profit cooperative in 1931, the company later converted into a for-profit corporation before it was bought and sold by a number of different corporations during the 1980s. In 1996, the company was acquired by Sears. After a brief period as a public company in 2012–13, the company filed for a chapter 11 reorganization. In June 2013, the bulk of OSH's assets and locations were sold to the home improvement store chain, Lowe's. Since that time, the home improvement chain is being operated as a subsidiary and used for strategic expansion of retail operations.