A
Cautionary Tale
By Gail Meyer
Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Posted on: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
When you read this, Meyer Gifts (Meyer Drugs, Meyer's, Meyer's
Hallmark …) will have closed. It has been an anchor store for
downtown Saranac Lake for 59 years. It has remained in the Meyer
family for that entire time and will probably never open under
the Meyer name ever again. It was a business that the entire
Meyer family took great pride in and that employed hundreds
of people over those 50 years.
Herein lies a tale that could be a metaphor for many small
retail businesses, not only in the North Country but all
over the country. It is written with some sadness for the
end of an era and the future it portends for the remaining
downtown businesses.
What was not evident to us in 2001 when my husband and I
purchased the business and building from our cousin, John, is
that some time in the 1990s, small town retail underwent a
sea change. We continued to work under the old model of
supplying the community with great service and a large
variety of quality goods at fair prices. The focus in
buying and stocking was always on "the local" and what he
or she would be looking for to celebrate a wedding, birth,
communion, birthday or life. While that model served
retail America well for many years, I do not believe that
it holds true any longer, not in Saranac Lake nor the
Tri-Lakes nor the North Country, and to some extent the entire
country.
Meyer's has always depended on foot traffic, as does almost
every other retail business in downtown Saranac Lake.
People are just no longer downtown. Of course, that is not true
literally, as you can almost always see someone downtown,
but those who grew up in the Saranac Lake of the '50s, '60s
and '70s can tell you that how people utilize downtown now has
changed dramatically. Foot traffic is much less because people are
buying so many of the things they need in places other than
"downtown." The reasons for that are multiple, but other small
towns deal with worse problems of parking and convenience
and still have viable retail centers.
This is not about big box stores or whether or not one should be
here. It is about choices. Every single individual, myself
included, who has ever purchased an item somewhere else
that they could have found in downtown Saranac Lake (or
Lake Placid or Tupper Lake) shares in the blame for the
demise of our downtowns. I try not to shop Wal-Mart because I
think they are terrible for the U.S., but I have been known
to shop at Sam's Club, Staples online, the L.L. Bean catalogue,
Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble (sorry, Carrie). You all have,
too, to some degree lesser or greater than I. My wonderful
customers, many of whom were in once a week, have also. It
is how many of us shop now. If we are in another, larger retail
area such as Plattsburgh, Glens Falls, Albany or
Burlington, we want to check out Lowe's, Bed Bath and
Beyond, or Borders. But when we allow ourselves that indulgence,
when we go for the unbelievable (unnecessary) variety and
sometimes lower prices, we rob not only our downtown but
our community as a whole. I can say this because I am
guilty of it, as are most of you.
How can allocating our purchasing dollars to places outside of
the Tri-Lakes hurt our community? One way is that we add to
a domino effect of failing businesses. My business was
marginal, always, as is almost every other retail business
downtown. When a business is working on not much of a
profit margin due to low volume (not a lot of people coming
in the door), a few weeks of bad weather during the year, a
day-long power outage or street work interfering with the flow of
anyone through the door hurts a lot! Add to that a soft
economy, high gas prices and a few bad business decisions,
and the business cannot stay afloat. So, down goes Meyer's,
providing even less foot traffic downtown. Who else will be
affected? Look around. Meyer's closing could adversely
affect every other retail business in downtown Saranac
Lake, and I really wish it weren't so.
The second way in which losing small businesses from downtown
is hurting the community can be demonstrated with a few
simple numbers. In 2006, judging from what I know Meyers
donated, area businesses donated at least $10,000 in goods,
services, gift certificates and dollars to support area
nonprofits, churches, school events, galas, benefits for
families and individuals, Habitat for Humanity, Boy Scouts
and the Multiple Sclerosis Society, to name a few. From my
discussions with other area retailers, there is probably not a
single business in the Saranac Lake area that does not
contribute every time they are asked, unless they have run
out of budgeted funds to do so. We all believe in the
strength of the community and that we owe something to our
customers. We give gladly, and the money is not always
tax-deductible.
Certainly, the contributions that used to come from Meyer's no
longer can, and I doubt that any online or big box
retailer, or shopping channel, or catalogue will jump to
add that money to our community. Think about it. Every time
your dollar gets spent outside of your Tri-Lakes community,
your church or nonprofit or child's sports team or youth
group is at risk for not getting as much of a donation or
any donation at all from a local business.
So, who is to blame for another business going under, another
empty storefront? We all are. What can be done? Go to
www.shopthetrilakes.com, then get off the computer, get off the
phone, turn off the TV, and plan to shop downtown
before you head off to the big cities. Think of the gas you
will save! Check out that little clothing store or
specialty shop you have not gone into. I guarantee you will
be very pleasantly surprised. Saranac Lake has a number of
new enterprises starting up, including clothing shops (new and
used), coffee bars and other specialty shops. Check them
out! Buy one thing there. Just one! Tell your friends what
you have seen! Spend an hour walking the downtown area:
Main Street, Broadway, Dorsey, Woodruff, Olive or North
Broadway, or out by Lake Flower and have a sandwich or
a cup of coffee at an area eatery. See the interesting and
varied things for sale all over this community! Get to know your
retai community again. Think more than twice before you send
your hard-earned dollars outside of your community. Support your
friends and neighbors. NO ONE in this town is getting rich off of
your back. Trust me. What about the community department
store? That is a great idea and one I have supported conceptually
from its inception. I hope that they can find a space that
works, and I really hope that the community, all of
the community, whether they have bought shares or not, will
support it. We should all want to Save Saranac Lake, and I
believe that is still possible.
Please consider what you have just read without the usual rancor
and divisiveness that has come to characterize this town in
the last 20 years. Meyer's is gone, and I get to enjoy
a whole lot of other things in my life. Thank you for your
part in making Meyer's a piece of Saranac Lake for 59
years. It was a fantastic ride.
Gail Meyer lives in Saranac Lake.
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