[Vision2020] Goodnight Goody, Goodnight Ridge
James Reynolds
chapandmaize at hotmail.com
Fri Mar 3 11:15:56 PST 2006
I ride the bus once a day and have heard numerous people say they won't shop
at the mall since the bus does not stop there anymore. On the one stop a day
I witness, Walmart gets 4-6 shoppers from WSU. Walmart stepped up and
offered the bus-stop after the mall cut it out.
James
>From: "Art Deco" <deco at moscow.com>
>To: "Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Goodnight Goody, Goodnight Ridge
>Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2006 11:02:28 -0800
>
>Music Lovers, Economists, and Absolute Monists,
>
>The following words appeared in the letter below written by Jay Feldman and
>posted by Tom Hansen:
>
>"Ross tells us there is just such a store in Moscow, Paradise Ridge
>Records,
>but he is unwilling to patronize it because its prices are higher than the
>defunct Goody."
>
>I believe the assumption in this quote is wrong. My experience has been
>that Sam Goody had the highest CD prices on the Palouse by a considerable
>margin except for advertised specials, some of the prices of these specials
>were still higher than Paradise Ridge CDs' prices.
>
>For example, I recently bought Moonlight Serenade by Carly Simon (a
>collection of really old tunes for really old people like myself, done
>quite
>tastefully). The album comes with a disc which is a CD on one side and a
>DVD on the other. It was priced at $19.98 at Sam Goody and $16.98
>elsewhere. When I shopped at Paradise Ridge CDs, I found their prices
>competitive -- many were below list. Discussions with others lead me to
>believe that they found prices highest by far at Sam Goody also.
>
>Sam Goody at the PEM is closing in part because of corporate problems, part
>of which may be related to their pricing strategies. The local Sam Goody
>also had other problems, some not fit for discussion on this list.
>
>
>For those keeping track:
>
>There are seven, soon to be eight vacancies at the PEM:
>
>1. Army Recruiters
>2. Marine Recruiters
>3. Optometrist Office
>4. Chocolaut
>5. Flower Shop
>6. Subway
>7. Market Place Gifts
>8. Sam Goody
>
>There are persistent rumors that one quite large retailer is seriously
>considering leaving.
>
>Questions:
>
>1. Where is the PEM in its life cycle?
>2. Did the redecoration at the PEM with the oodles of light fixtures
>that
>makes one think that they are in the midst of an extensive, well organized
>invasion of flying saucers help or hinder the effort to attract more
>customers?
>3. Did the stinginess/anti-community attitude of the PEM management in
>eliminating the bus stop help or hinder the volume of business?
>4. If the vacancies at the PEM are an indication in some way of problems
>of some kind with the local economy, how does this reflect on plans for the
>big jesus shopping mall planned for just over the state line?
>5. Does the PEM vacancy rate have anything to do with the WalMart or the
>two proposed WalMart Super Centers?
>6. What, if anything, could the PEM management do to increase the
>general
>volume of business?
>
>Of course, question 3 above is quite biasly stated; however, I think some
>community reflection on these questions would be helpful in examining and
>shaping some community values.
>
>
>Quite sadly, a downtown store which we patronized very happily, is soon to
>go out of business. Although they carried a really excellent line of
>products, gave excellent customer service, were very product knowledgeable,
>and had an extremely liberal return policy, they are being squeezed by the
>internet. This is what happens: People come in and look at the
>merchandise, get detailed information, ask technical questions, examine
>closely /try on the products, then they order the products over the
>internet.
>
>For many items we buy locally, we do just the opposite. We research using
>the internet, then buy or special order the products locally. Local
>merchants contribute and support many diverse community activities --
>internet etailers do not. Etailers generally do not collect Idaho sales
>tax
>either.
>
>Are any list members are concerned about the health of several local
>business who face heavy competition from the internet?
>
>
>Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
>deco at moscow.com
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
>To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 6:57 AM
>Subject: [Vision2020] Goodnight Goody, Goodnight Ridge
>
>
>> >From today's (March 3, 2006) UI Argonaut with a special thanks to Jay
>>Feldman.
>>
>>----------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Goodnight Goody, goodnight Ridge
>>
>>Dear Editor,
>>
>>Am I the only one that noticed the irony in the placement of the column
>>"Death of a pop supercenter" next to the anti-Superwalmart editorial?
>>The writer, Jon Ross, laments that Sam Goody is going out of business
>>nationwide (including Moscow) while he dreams of an indie-esque record
>>store
>>in Moscow to replace it. Oddly though, Ross tells us there is just such a
>>store in Moscow, Paradise Ridge Records, but he is unwilling to patronize
>>it
>>because its prices are higher than the defunct Goody.
>>
>>Well, as consumers, we can't have it both ways. We can't have quality
>>independent stores that pay more into the local tax base, offer
>>personalized
>>service, a greater selection, a professional staff that is paid a living
>>wage, along with, as the writer expects, "cheap music." Yet, we expect to
>>because Wal-Mart has responded to our deep desire for the lowest price by
>>setting us on a race to the bottom where every store must match its prices
>>regardless of what that store might offer its patrons and its community.
>>
>>Unfortunately, in America, price has become the sole factor in deciding
>>which stores we frequent. As the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart can
>>offer the lowest prices possible but at a high cost to communities like
>>Moscow. Shoppers have come to assume the Wal-Mart price is the proper
>>market
>>price and the Wal-Mart price thus is the price we should expect to pay.
>>Because of such a mentality, shoppers - including Ross, at his own
>>admission
>>- will not pay more than this false standard. As a result, when forced to
>>compete with a Super Wal-Mart, small independent stores, like many in
>>Moscow, go out of business and small towns are left with the impersonal,
>>poor selection, tax-base draining, Super Wal-Marts, just the position Ross
>>laments.
>>
>>Certainly paying a bit extra is difficult for many, and luckily we have
>>the
>>independent chain WinCo to provide us with groceries that beat any Super
>>Wal-Mart's prices and an existing Wal-Mart for those who wish to shop
>>there.
>>What we don't need is a Wal-Mart Supercenter that will reinforce this
>>"lowest price at any cost" mentality.
>>
>>Ross laments not having a quality, all-music store in Moscow, when in fact
>>we do have one. Ross needs to do what so many of us need to do, overcome
>>our
>>addiction to low price and support the local businesses whose tax revenues
>>support us.
>>
>>Jay P. Feldman
>>Department of philosophy
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Seeya round town, Moscow.
>>
>>Tom Hansen
>>Moscow, Idaho
>>
>>
>>**************************************************************
>>
>>"A bad cause will ever be supported by bad means and bad men."
>>
>>- Thomas Paine (English Writer, 1737-1809)
>>
>>**************************************************************
>>
>>
>>
>>_____________________________________________________
>>List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>> http://www.fsr.net
>> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
>>
>>
>
>_____________________________________________________
>List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the
>communities of the Palouse since 1994. http://www.fsr.net
> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
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