Quote:
Originally Posted by corollaman
Why would a store owner just up and leave like this? I didn't hear nothing on the radio or in the papers, or anything. I didn't know about it till I saw it on here. The big box stores around here are killing the small guys.
|
Aubuchon is as much a local company as Market Basket is. They are both out of state based multi store chains. They are not individually owned and operated. Closing a store in a chain like this comes from a calculated viewpoint with the overall bottom line firmly in the sites. It has nothing to do with someone wanting out.
Vita, When you talk about a local store that is affiliated with True Value or Ace, those are independents that have bought into the national chain for advertising and name power, but are still operated by the local guys. These are the types of stores that require the locals to keep afloat. I think you are seeing the proximity of major national chains being the saving grace for these two stores in M'boro, who is going to drive 45 min to lowes when you have these two stores right in town or the next town over. Laconia was very close to Lowes and that probably did not help.
A hardware store is only as good as the people that work there, if you cannot feel like a welcome guest with welcome questions than you are not going to go into that store when you can go a little down street and get the same service with cheaper prices at Lowes. I have not been in that store in quite some time, so I am not saying that is the case, but it is a typical situation when the big box stores move in.