Star Market Closing

LakesRegionSpirit · 02-01-2009, 01:40 PM

I am (was?) a sometimes shopper at J-star.

I want to make a general comment without generalizing (if that is possible) and it is not particularly aimed at this specific closing.

But, all too often I hear people lament the closing of a local, possibly higher priced, local operation. Usually they notice the closing of a local shop on their way to Wal-Mart.

If we want local business to stay in business we have to patronize them. I but at Sunflowers, I know Ana, I can talk to her directly. I buy at Beans and Green's. I know Martina and I want to see a farm on my drive down Intervale Road. I go to the chain stores as a last resort.

This costs me more money but I look at it as an investment in the local community which, to me, is worth something above and beyond the product I buy.

How many drive by the local hardware store on their way to Lowe's to buy at a cheaper price?

How many drive by the local farm stands to buy at Market Basket.

You can not have it both ways.

I have started a local venture that is trying to invest in local people and their talents.

We may not be able to solve the world's problems, but we can certainly give a shot at dealing with our local community.

So, next time you all drive by a local venture and hope that it stays in business. Do your part!

Just my .02

KonaChick · 02-02-2009, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakesRegionSpirit

I am (was?) a sometimes shopper at J-star.

I want to make a general comment without generalizing (if that is possible) and it is not particularly aimed at this specific closing.

But, all too often I hear people lament the closing of a local, possibly higher priced, local operation. Usually they notice the closing of a local shop on their way to Wal-Mart.

If we want local business to stay in business we have to patronize them. I but at Sunflowers, I know Ana, I can talk to her directly. I buy at Beans and Green's. I know Martina and I want to see a farm on my drive down Intervale Road. I go to the chain stores as a last resort.

This costs me more money but I look at it as an investment in the local community which, to me, is worth something above and beyond the product I buy.

How many drive by the local hardware store on their way to Lowe's to buy at a cheaper price?

How many drive by the local farm stands to buy at Market Basket.

You can not have it both ways.

I have started a local venture that is trying to invest in local people and their talents.

We may not be able to solve the world's problems, but we can certainly give a shot at dealing with our local community.

So, next time you all drive by a local venture and hope that it stays in business. Do your part!

Just my .02

Your points are well taken but JS is in a different catagory than your local farm stand or hardware store. I'm all for paying a little extra to help boost the local economy however the price gauging that JS has done for years in my opinion is not only unacceptable but also unethical. I feel badly for the long term employees that counted on their JS paycheck to help pay their mortgage and put food on their tables however I can only wonder how badly the owners of JS feel, after all they are responsible for their current predicament.

hazelnut · 02-02-2009, 12:00 PM

I concur with KonaChick,

LakesRegionSpirit you do make excellent points that I completely agree with. The only problem with your post is that I don't feel it applies to Jackson Star.

These owners were just about gouging their customers. This was hardly a situation like a small business that has to charge more to make the profit margin.

Your post is more aligned with Heath's and the small businesses that you mentioned. I am all for patronizing the little guy. I was a huge patron of Pier 19 in Tuftonboro even though the prices were high. Unfortunately they couldn't make it work and had to shut down for good.

jeffk · 02-02-2009, 01:25 PM

The problem is one, as is common in rural areas, of the lack of choice.

There are many levels of restaurants in the area and people make their choices as to the type of experience they want and what they are willing to pay for it. You can choose to chow down in the Mug or the Coe house. Both places have their happy clientèle.

There is probably not enough business in the area to support two large markets in Meredith throughout the year. Jackson Star has had an exclusive for a while and people had no choice unless they went further out of their way to Heaths. So they put up with the higher prices but weren't happy about it. My guess is that most don't feel that they were getting more value to go along with the additional cost. Would you pay the price of the Coe House if the experience was essentially the same as the Mug?

So now people have a choice and Jackson Star doesn't have enough business to keep afloat. This is the way capitalism works. Choice, competition. and consequences.

Hannaford's could now raise their prices to Jackson Star's level and they might get away with it for awhile. But they would run the risk of someone coming along someday, just like they just have, and offering everyone a better choice.

sa meredith · 02-02-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazelnut

I concur with KonaChick,

LakesRegionSpirit you do make excellent points that I completely agree with. The only problem with your post is that I don't feel it applies to Jackson Star.

These owners were just about gouging their customers. This was hardly a situation like a small business that has to charge more to make the profit margin.

Your post is more aligned with Heath's and the small businesses that you mentioned. I am all for patronizing the little guy. I was a huge patron of Pier 19 in Tuftonboro even though the prices were high. Unfortunately they couldn't make it work and had to shut down for good.

You worded that very nicely. Especially the parts about what JS does/did vs. small, local business that need to charge a bit more simply to survive.

I will miss the convenience of their (JS) location though. Miss it a lot...

Happy Gourmand · 02-02-2009, 02:28 PM

It's sad that so many will be without work when this store closes. We frequented this store when we were at the lake during the summer, and, other than the high prices, we appreciated the clientelle, the selection and the cleanliness of the store.
We were in Meredith last Saturday and stopped by Hannaford's to check it out. I don't believe they are on the same pricing schedule as the store in Nashua, my wife commented that prices seemed high. She grabbed 2 20oz bottles of Coke on the way out, but when the price came up as $1.50 each, she asked the cashier to return one.
We'd love to see Market Basket take over the JS location. They seem to have the best prices around Nashua and the lake if you're willing to drive to tilton.

LakesRegionSpirit · 02-02-2009, 03:29 PM

I guess the comments about wanting a Market Basket in town because their prices are lower is part of my earlier point.

We all want local business to survive in theory, but when it comes to spending our own dollar, we want the cheapest prices. Well, with cheap prices, comes cheap wages; underpaid workers; lack of high end service.

I , personally, do not want a Market Basket. They are not a local business. I want the Beans and Greens, The Moulton Farms, The Sunflowers, etc. where the owner is behind the counter.

That is what makes the Lakes Region what it is. We need to support local economies, not national chains.

Downtown Laconia is, or was, full of locally owned shops, all of which are being hit hard right now. That's because people don't shop there. But when the store fronts empty out, like Bloom's, etc. Everyone is sad that they didn't stay.

It ain't magic. You want them to stay, shop there.

GTO · 02-02-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakesRegionSpirit

I am (was?) a sometimes shopper at J-star.

I want to make a general comment without generalizing (if that is possible) and it is not particularly aimed at this specific closing.

But, all too often I hear people lament the closing of a local, possibly higher priced, local operation. Usually they notice the closing of a local shop on their way to Wal-Mart.

If we want local business to stay in business we have to patronize them. I but at Sunflowers, I know Ana, I can talk to her directly. I buy at Beans and Green's. I know Martina and I want to see a farm on my drive down Intervale Road. I go to the chain stores as a last resort.

This costs me more money but I look at it as an investment in the local community which, to me, is worth something above and beyond the product I buy.

How many drive by the local hardware store on their way to Lowe's to buy at a cheaper price?

How many drive by the local farm stands to buy at Market Basket.

You can not have it both ways.

I have started a local venture that is trying to invest in local people and their talents.

We may not be able to solve the world's problems, but we can certainly give a shot at dealing with our local community.

So, next time you all drive by a local venture and hope that it stays in business. Do your part!

Just my .02

JS cannot be compared to a local anything. Its a large grocery store that has been overpriced from the day they opened, why...because they were conveinent to get too on your way into your lake house for the week. We as consumers are always looking for bargains/sales. I'm thinking when JS first heard of Hannafords going in, maybe then they should have slashed their prices and tried to be more competitive. In this economy with thousands of people out of work (like twoplustwo) it is difficult to spend money. I have been in that situation (for 8 months). If I could save $20 on my food bill each week by driving to Gilford, I would. Oh sure, support the locals, but who is going to support me when I don't have enough food on my table.

02-01-2009, 01:40 PM	#1
LakesRegionSpirit Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Gilford Posts: 188 Thanks: 7 Thanked 40 Times in 21 Posts	I am (was?) a sometimes shopper at J-star. I want to make a general comment without generalizing (if that is possible) and it is not particularly aimed at this specific closing. But, all too often I hear people lament the closing of a local, possibly higher priced, local operation. Usually they notice the closing of a local shop on their way to Wal-Mart. If we want local business to stay in business we have to patronize them. I but at Sunflowers, I know Ana, I can talk to her directly. I buy at Beans and Green's. I know Martina and I want to see a farm on my drive down Intervale Road. I go to the chain stores as a last resort. This costs me more money but I look at it as an investment in the local community which, to me, is worth something above and beyond the product I buy. How many drive by the local hardware store on their way to Lowe's to buy at a cheaper price? How many drive by the local farm stands to buy at Market Basket. You can not have it both ways. I have started a local venture that is trying to invest in local people and their talents. We may not be able to solve the world's problems, but we can certainly give a shot at dealing with our local community. So, next time you all drive by a local venture and hope that it stays in business. Do your part! Just my .02 __________________ __________________________________________ Lakes Region Spirit "Seeking the soul of the Lakes Region one story at a time" www.LakesRegionSpirit.com

02-02-2009, 01:25 PM	#4
jeffk Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,175 Thanks: 207 Thanked 437 Times in 253 Posts	Choice The problem is one, as is common in rural areas, of the lack of choice. There are many levels of restaurants in the area and people make their choices as to the type of experience they want and what they are willing to pay for it. You can choose to chow down in the Mug or the Coe house. Both places have their happy clientèle. There is probably not enough business in the area to support two large markets in Meredith throughout the year. Jackson Star has had an exclusive for a while and people had no choice unless they went further out of their way to Heaths. So they put up with the higher prices but weren't happy about it. My guess is that most don't feel that they were getting more value to go along with the additional cost. Would you pay the price of the Coe House if the experience was essentially the same as the Mug? So now people have a choice and Jackson Star doesn't have enough business to keep afloat. This is the way capitalism works. Choice, competition. and consequences. Hannaford's could now raise their prices to Jackson Star's level and they might get away with it for awhile. But they would run the risk of someone coming along someday, just like they just have, and offering everyone a better choice.

02-02-2009, 02:28 PM	#6
Happy Gourmand Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ruskin FL Posts: 1,027 Thanks: 188 Thanked 322 Times in 179 Posts	Jackson Star It's sad that so many will be without work when this store closes. We frequented this store when we were at the lake during the summer, and, other than the high prices, we appreciated the clientelle, the selection and the cleanliness of the store. We were in Meredith last Saturday and stopped by Hannaford's to check it out. I don't believe they are on the same pricing schedule as the store in Nashua, my wife commented that prices seemed high. She grabbed 2 20oz bottles of Coke on the way out, but when the price came up as $1.50 each, she asked the cashier to return one. We'd love to see Market Basket take over the JS location. They seem to have the best prices around Nashua and the lake if you're willing to drive to tilton.

02-02-2009, 03:29 PM	#7
LakesRegionSpirit Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Gilford Posts: 188 Thanks: 7 Thanked 40 Times in 21 Posts	I guess the comments about wanting a Market Basket in town because their prices are lower is part of my earlier point. We all want local business to survive in theory, but when it comes to spending our own dollar, we want the cheapest prices. Well, with cheap prices, comes cheap wages; underpaid workers; lack of high end service. I , personally, do not want a Market Basket. They are not a local business. I want the Beans and Greens, The Moulton Farms, The Sunflowers, etc. where the owner is behind the counter. That is what makes the Lakes Region what it is. We need to support local economies, not national chains. Downtown Laconia is, or was, full of locally owned shops, all of which are being hit hard right now. That's because people don't shop there. But when the store fronts empty out, like Bloom's, etc. Everyone is sad that they didn't stay. It ain't magic. You want them to stay, shop there. __________________ __________________________________________ Lakes Region Spirit "Seeking the soul of the Lakes Region one story at a time" www.LakesRegionSpirit.com

02-02-2009, 12:00 PM	#3
hazelnut Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,348 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 508 Thanked 462 Times in 162 Posts	I concur with KonaChick, LakesRegionSpirit you do make excellent points that I completely agree with. The only problem with your post is that I don't feel it applies to Jackson Star. These owners were just about gouging their customers. This was hardly a situation like a small business that has to charge more to make the profit margin. Your post is more aligned with Heath's and the small businesses that you mentioned. I am all for patronizing the little guy. I was a huge patron of Pier 19 in Tuftonboro even though the prices were high. Unfortunately they couldn't make it work and had to shut down for good.