Light a store, save a town
By reopening an iconic clothing shop, a rural community revives its once-dying downtown. What do you think of their strategy?
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DiggI’ve been through Powell, and was suprised to see it’s name highlighted. Now I see I shouldn’t have been. Way to go Powell, and God bless.
Simple.
Way to go, Powell!
Good job.
Literally.
Ms. Hamashige,
Your article about the “Merc” in Powell, Wyoming was well written and equally intriguing. I am Project Manager for MetaFund, a community development financial institution (CDFI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Among other things, our firm works with low-income towns and rural entities with tax credits, business start-ups, and the details involved with both.
I would be interested in finding out any information about the Powell community and their project. Anything from available contacts in Powell (or other towns doing similar projects) to your personal opinion about the idea would be appreciated. MetaFund could potentially be interested in developing a similar program. I will look forward to a response at your convenience.
uh……. Wal-Mart associates what to pack up and quit so bad they just don’t know how, or where to begin to start their own business, they need to have some sound business groups,
and SMA to help them..As Americans we need to give them that nudge and encouragement…
Wal-Mart has them thinking they are locked in there forever, that they have NO other place to go, while the whole time more than 3/4 of all there what used to be full time associates 32-40 a wk. are now forced to work part time 25-31 hrs a wk. with NO Benefits…except government assistance…And we pay for it…
while Wal-Mart gets a tax break…..
All they get is the humiliation of working for
The Worlds Largest Retailer and being on food stamps…
Wal-Mart operates on one thing and one thing only W-M
Stocks, Shareholders, and investors….
They don’t even report their state taxes to states, just a small percentages…..the fact is they don’t report anything
that BIG loophole and lobbyists see to that….
I could go on and on about Wal-Mart…being a former
associate I know excellently what they are going through
and having to endure..I make sure they know that I care..
For I Boycott Wal-Mart..I just love going in there and
calling for a Manager for what ever !!
and let them know that this is unacceptable having to wait in line this long or I’ll go in on Mon or Tues..buy a boat load and then on Sat. take it all back…while I am having to wait is this long line and or a Manager to show up….customers just don’t quite what to make of me…but I refuse to be walked or trampled on every again any where…One W-M Att. Manager made that mistake and he NO longer works for W-M…
I could go on and on and on about W-M…But just remember they are NOT this great company they want America to see taking care of there own, just the opposite….. we DO it for them………
Typical American “can do” attitude. Have a problem? Create a solution!
If the Powers That Be just get out of our way today’s problems will be opportunities for those with this kind of mindset. The spirit of our forefathers is alive and well in the heartland.
Good for Powewll and its people. It is an indication that the ‘can do’ mentality that forged the USA has not died. I’m an expat and dual national now, loong in the tooth. Nonetheless,may you people thrive and prosper in the difficult days ahead. May theLord continue to bless you.
If we all come together, in any town, city, etc., we can keep our commerce LOCAL. Why must there be a Wal Mart on every intersection???? Quite an inspiring story.
Sharon Earhart and the people in Powell have become the beacons of light for small communities like St. Anthony, Idaho, where we are attempting to sell 1,000 shares to open the Fremont Emporium. (After we named the store, we discovered St. Anthony had an Emporium back in the early 1900s. A good omen?) The continued success of the Merc gives us hope in these days of high gas prices and talk about recession. What better time to circle the wagons and support our local businesses.
Politicians aren’t going to save us, but this type of activity will. I deliberately shop downtown every chance I get and have never spent a dime at WalMart in my life…
Somebody please send this inspiring story to the knuckleheads in Washington who continue to think that American free enterprise can’t possibly survive without government intervention. Obviously, the entrepreneurial spirit that is largely responsible for this country’s success is alive and well in Wyoming.
Great story,We are attempting the same concept in St. Anthony Id. patterned after the Powell Merc with some advice from their board of dir. Our biggest sceptics and roadblocks are our own business owners here. I am showing them copies of your story on the Merc and the coments made to date hoping to change thier minds. We are excited here to be trying. Our little town of 3500 people is on the main rt. to Yellowstone park from the bigger cities in Id. and Utah with thousands of cars passeing us by daily. We are 13 Mi from K Mart and Walmart in Rexburg. Can You send a copy of your report to our local media in Rexburg and Idaho Falls. thanks Vern Russell Board member St. Anthony, Id. we need support!!!!!
It isn’t just about Walmart bashing as some here have speculated-it’s about pride and hope, and a desire to have thinfs differently in your own backyard. Imagine the satisfaction of possibly being able to walk from a home close by, and get your shopping and errands out of the way, and get some exercise, too. Wow, not having to expend the gas to go out to the mall!. It used to work well in America, back when we weren’t all afraid of each other. So many towns could save themselves in this way. It just takes pride and the openness to change.
Fantastic. Small shops are the way to go, certainly better than Wal-Mart, Target etc. The money stays in the local economy helping local people.
Great story! The American spirit still lives in Powell, Wyoming. This is truly inspiring.
It would be nice if every town, big city, little city would put a little thought into who they allow to move in. My town has been virtually destroyed by big brand stores and greed. These people took their town back and created jobs along the way. I think that is the most important thing a town can do.
Great story. The big box stores are destroying the US one small town at a time.
I hope your reporter will check into the role that the city govt. played to support the revitalization on Main Street. Powell is a great town. It has Northwest College. I heard from a friend that the city council started revitalization efforts some 10 years ago to encourage the development of downtown Powell. Please provide more details on all the efforts that went into this good result. Good slide show and it is a Pamida…not a Walmart toward Cody:) I think Cody would be a great place to live!
Way to go Powell! This is true “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” in action. My next road trip will include a stop in Powell, Wyoming.
The Merc was founded before commodity prices took off. This area farms beans, barley and sugar beets, not the most lucrative crops. It truly was community spirit that built the store and not an anti Wal-mart meta-narrative.
Nice work – now if other downtown and Main Street would take heed – we would go back to less congestion, less concrete, more jobs, more creativity and reviving the entrepreneurial spirit of ordinary people.
Wall Street and chain stores are a dying breed – because their motto is greed – there is one mantra they forget when they count sales and profits – that is the limits of mass production. No one wants the exact same goods as everyone else – we the consumers love uniqueness – variety is the spice of life.
Europeans especially the French – have understood that for a long time – look at all their shops and boutiques.
Love ‘em
Powell does have a Wal-Mart, just outside of town, towards Cody
Posted By Ryley, Mpls, MN : July 18, 2008 5:18 pm
That’s not a Walmart, it’s a Pamida.
this is the American spirit at it’s best.
not waiting on the govt.or depending on a large corp.to rescue a dying town.
i’d like to see the idea catch on across the country.
so many small towns and rural communites are in bad shape and people feel helpless to revitalize and reinvent.
powell is a great example of what Americans can do ….this is old school Americana,my fathers generation of self reliance and hard work!!
i hope the concept spreads across the country.
Powell does have a Wal-Mart, just outside of town, towards Cody
I’d like to see more of this…a community decision to provide for themselves and keep the town viable. One could surmise that this agricultural area didn’t have a population in the target market area that would support a larger chain store. I applaud the people who made the choices and committment to keep their town alive. Congratulations to Powell, WY. Great to hear something positive!
What a wonderful idea!!Sounds like the pioneer spirit lives on in Powell, Wyoming…need a barn? everyone gathers and you have one by nightfall!! Helping your fellow man and helping save the town at the same time!!Sounds like they have some pretty “savvy” folks “running things” in Powell.”You go Powell!!” I live about 10 miles from POWELL,TEXAS!!
Thanks for covering this story. It’s high time that people realize that there are solutions out there, and resources to help out. Most states are served by cooperative development centers that can provide information about how to organize community-owned stores.
One distinction that this story misses is that the merc movement doesn’t rely on the cooperative model of one vote per member. However, they do protect local control and ownership through such mechanisms as limiting the number of shares per investor, or limiting sales to state residents.
These sorts of approaches have also prevented the departure of grocery stores, industrial plants, and the Green Bay Packers.
It was so nice to read this story about Powell. My grandparents lived there for years and I spent most of my summers with them. I’m glad to hear the citizens took an active stance and are investing in their wonderful town.
I wish that would work in our city the downtown needs revitalizing so bad that would be wonderful
Truly fantastic! Way to go Powell, Wy!
I would like to see more businesses like this launched, especially as cooperatives. The current economic model has thrived on almost-free oil/energy which can’t last, and on over-consumption which can’t last. It’s not sustainable. We need a new way of doing things.
Best of luck to this town. However attributing the success of this town solely to the establishment of the department store and ignoring the boom in commodity prices that have enriched the farming communities in the last couple of years is mis-leading.
But then, that may not have fitted in with the Wal-mart hating meta-narrative of the writer.
Not the Wall Street Model – but likely what is needed to get American economics back on track.
I think it’s great that they decided to sell shares in their community- that alone says that the store has owners, rather than investors. I strongly feel that this approach, focusing on the customer, is where the future of retailing is headed. I talk to so many friends and neighbors on their way home from shopping trips, and they all say the same thing- they’d gladly pay a little more for the luxury of having someone there to answer questions, and for more quality. Lowest price is not the only criteria now- people want service and quality as well, and the Merc seems to have both.
I doubt that the big-box stores would gain a foothold in that community,from the sound of it. The people don’t fit the profile or profit formula that the are looking for. I would love to visit that town someday.
I’m originally from Wyoming, and I know how hard many of the smaller towns in that state struggle to stay economically afloat–especially when big industries (other than coal and oil) stay away from such a low-populated state in droves. So it’s great to see the people of Powell taking a risk and making it work.
I think its a great idea. Unfortunately it only works in towns that don’t yet have a Wal-Mart.
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I used to work at Stage stores corporate office and I am pretty surprised they pulled out. Their biggest strategy was bringing brand names to small towns. They survive in some pretty small towns.