What's your take on the local economy?

A lot of people were dismayed to see the WineSmith in Ashburn's Ryan Park close down.

What's the opinion in Broadlands about our local economy? Support the local small businesses or shop where the prices are the cheapest (e.g., Wal-Mart)?

Other than having higher prices, what's the biggest obstacle residents have for shopping at small businesses in Loudoun?

For those who feel strongly about supporting the local small businesses, is there anything we can do to turn things around to prevent the loss of other businesses like the WineSmith? What would you do to get more people to shop locally?

 

oooh- RIGHT up my alley... the layout of the shopping centers here do nothing to INVITE customers. narrow sidewalks, little to no outdoor seating, no attractive greenspace... look at Lansdowne and Reston Town Center- something to do then someplace to eat after you do it.

saturation of repetitive businesses is also a problem. within 5 miles of each other there are 5 Thai, 4 burger joints, countless Chinese, 3 Harris Teeters, 3 Giants... the list goes on and on.

i'm not sure WHY there isn't more support for local businesses like WineSmith- maybe the less expensive but also good selections at supermarkets were a factor. i shopped there as often i necessary but i didn't drink wine i purchased there as quickly as the Barefoot or Polka Dot from Wegmans.

i think that when people want to go out without kids, they LEAVE Ashburn for a date night experience- that's part of why places like Cafe Panache couldn't thrive and other date night hot spots aren't popping up to replace it.

but the final problem i'll mention here is the perception that Ashburn residents are full of disposable income. this town is full of big families, big houses, big DEBT. not everyone- but enough that people aren't running out to spend at local businesses- some who overcharge based on the misperception- since they are on budgets, and spend $$ on nice vacations over fine wine, or a few great experiences instead of a bunch of mediocre ones.

but that's just MY opinion.. i could be wrong.

 

Just a thought - but could it be that the grocery stores around here are actually *gasp* too nice? You might be able to find all the wine you want/need at Wegman's, if not HT. I've heard if Wegman's doesn't have it, they'll order it for you. The whole wine section there seems larger than the entire WineSmith store.

Hate to see a local, small business go. But it's hard to compete against having the same choice where you're already doing your shopping (at a grocery store).

 

I totally agree with everything you say. Especially the final problem about the perception that Ashburn is full of disposable incomes! Hence the nickname "Cashburn". We've lived in Ashburn since 1988 and watched it grow and watched families move into their huge houses, expensive cars and lots of debt. My husband and I work hard, we're doing ok, but we watch what we spend and really think hard when we go buy something...is it a need or a want???

 

I think a specialty shop such as a wine shop needs to have the right location - somewhere that gets foot traffic or is on a major road to somewhere, so that it becomes known by people in other communities. An Ashburn shopping center is not the right place for a niche shop. My take - forgive me if I offend - is that the people who live in this community are not rich, but are generally doing well enough to spend on status items that can be "appreciated" by others. And wine does not fit the bill. Also look at the demographics - this is an area with many children. So money will go to things that include the kids - vacations, activities, certain restaurants, etc. Not wine. For this you need an older and more wealthy population in the immediate and surrounding areas. A wine shop will attract those who have the time and money to devote to the appreciation of wine. But if there are many other stores which supply this item in plenty for less money and/or hassle, then the specialty shop will not survive.

 

For me it has more to do with a community relationship and unique inventory.

As an example I would rather shop at Go Bananas than go to the run of the mill mega stores (eg Target, ToysRus etc).

Go Bananas has variety of toys which are unique and I would rather give my $$$ to a neighbor than a multi billion dollar company, as a bonus they always say hello to us (and yes they know my name & my kids' name) - that is an added touch which earns my loyalty.

 

I went into Winesmith a few times and talked to them about trying to get a beer I like I can't find around here and a wine I like that's not available here as well. Never heard back from them and I tried twice. Then amazingly about a month later the Teet started carrying the beer I was looking for lol.

 

I never visited the Winesmith - because I'm closer to the Ashburn Wine Shop, but it sounds nice and I'm sure it's missed.

I live close to Ashburn Village and heartily endorse the Ashburn Wine Shop - http://www.ashburnwineshop.com/ - in the Ashburn Village shopping center on AV Blvd., next to the Rita's custard place.

If you've never been there, I can't say enough good things about them. First off, super-nice owners - Jason and Sergio. Very attentive. They have tastings in the back of the store - Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tell them what you'll be serving the wine with and what your budget is, and they'll suggest a winner. 10% off if you buy 6 bottles; you can mix up the wines. If you want 2 bottles of somethng and they only have 1, you can still get the discount and just pick it up when it comes in. Was in there the day before Easter and they had baked ham and lamb, etc. 20% off coupon on your first visit.

And - possibly best of all - they are going to expand into the old Coldwell Banker space next door and open a wine bar, similar to the one in Leesburg. Tastings, hors d'oeuvres, light fare, music. Plannning to open in September.

Try it - I think you'll like it!

 

Reston Town Center would be a GREAT place for a shop like WineSmith... i now the owner will land on his feet SUCCESSFULLY in a place that will fully appreciate his biz model.

many valid points made here. whoever builds and manages the Ashburn shopping centers need to sit up and take notice of what's happening to their tenants. exhorbitant rents, lack of marketing and support, awful egress and ingress, inconvenient layouts, and businesses that just don't make sense are killing many of these plazas.

it's a real shame.

 

I don't know how well business is going for each of them but I would think that having a child centered place like Curiosity Zone next door to an ice cream place (Maggie Moo's) would be a good combination for Ashburn. With so many parents in Ashburn small businesses could really capitalize on that.

Ever since we visited the children's museum in Winchester I've felt that Leesburg should really jump on it and do something like that in their downtown area. That would bring a lot of families into downtown Leesburg.

 

i was just saying that last week to a friend!!! but in the starbucks spot at the broadlands marketplace!!!!

 

Well I don’t know what the opinion in Broadlands is, but if you are interested in MY opinion, I will be glad to share it.

Speaking as a confirmed capitalist, the following are what I am looking for in my shopping decisions. They are not in priority order as my priorities change

- Price proportional to quality. I do not expect you to sell me high quality stuff at low prices, nor do I expect you to sell me low quality stuff at high prices.

- A selection of quality. As a capitalist, I want choices. Depending on many factors, I may want to purchase high quality stuff at high prices, medium quality stuff at medium prices, or low quality stuff at low prices. I may not know what my preference is until I get to the store. I reserve the right to change my mind. I may enter your store with the intention of buying one level of quality and decide to, instead, buy another quality. Because of this, I am reluctant to shop at stores that only offer one level of quality. I want choices. A store that offers unique stuff may not be such a good idea.

- Ease and convenience of doing business. The time it takes me to get to your store and the time it takes to make my purchase all factor into the overall “price” of your goods. This affects the Price to Quality proportion. If I have to make a special trip to your store, it makes it a little bit more inconvenient and that adds to the “cost” and the store needs to offer me “something” to compensate – small inconvenience, small compensation; large inconvenience, large compensation. What is an acceptable compensation is up to the individual shopper as we are all motivated by different things.


None of these factors operates independently and there are more factors other then the ones I listed. Shoppers make purchasing decisions based on many influencers. One of the fundamental aspects of commercialism is the concept of “good enough”.

Buyers will “settle” for something “good enough” if it meets the buyer’s “needs” at “this time”. For example:

I am out shopping and here I am having a discussion with myself….

I want product A.
Product A is sold in Store A
Store A is at the other side of town, in that poorly designed mall where I know I will be stuck trying to make that horrible left hand turn and no one will ever let me out.
It is 5:30 and I need to get home and I just don’t have the time today
Product B is sold in the store I am in.
While I prefer Product A, Product B is “good enough” so I will buy Product B.
I don’t visit Store A today.

In my personal situation, I find myself buying stuff that is “good enough” a lot.

If the small independent local stores want my business, they need to have a plan to combat this concept of “good enough” that also addresses my personal capitalistic requirements listed above.

If they can, they will get my business.
If they can’t/wont, they won’t get my business.

There are some businesses in the Loudoun area that have not “earned” my business. And yes, I am of the mindset that a business has to earn my business, they are not entitled to my business.

These are just a few of the factors that influence my purchasing decisions. As a capitalist, I can say that a factor that does NOT influence is whether the business is “local” or not. I am completely neutral on that. All businesses in Loudoun are local (they are IN Loudoun after all).

If a business can offer me the proper cost/quality, quality choices, and ease of doing business, they get my business. In any case, I will find a business that satisfies my purchasing requirements. It may not be your business though.

Again, these are just my opinions and YMMV.

 

Wow! Thank you so much!!!! That means a lot to us.

I should never have opened this thread!

Here is my take. I am a consumer and a local business owner, so I view this from two perspectives. I am queen of convenience so that often has a lot to do with how I buy. That isn't to say that I won't shop for better prices either. It all depends on what I am looking to purchase.

On the other hand I also know that supporting one local business means I am supporting other local businesses. (And a local business is not one that simply has a location near to where you live. example: Target is NOT a local business. ) A local business uses professionals that also live locally. Everytime you support our business you are supporting: my accountant, my bookkeeper, my graphic designer, my printer, my local advertisers and other local businesses that we network with. They all live here in Loudoun! We are all interdependent. There is no doubt that supporting local businesses support local economies.

FWIW, I think the consumer tends to think they are getting a better deal at big box stores. I of course can only respond to the toy and educational product market. (In regards to our industry, we watch the prices very carefully at our larger big box competitiors and for those few products we overlap on we are EXACTLY the same price if not lower. In the toy industry the big box retailers are not allowed to regularly discount the specialty brands we sell. It is called MAP- Minimum Advertised Pricing. If a retailer sells lower than the MAP, you could lose the right to sell the product in the future.) So, I always find it funny when people assume they can get the same product for a lower price. Certain products, perhaps we can't compete because the big box retailer got a much better discount than we did. In that case, we won't even bring that product into our store. The assumption from the consumer is that we "hiked" the price up. When in fact the opposite is true. They discounted the product. This doesn't happen to often to us, as I watch this very carefully.

I really started to notice this past holiday season that MANY people commented to me that they are going to spend their money on quality not quantity for their children. Therefore, visited us to invested in safe, high quality and durable toys. And do you get the same level of service at these other places? Will they gift wrap it for free for you? Will you earn money back on your purchases? No. Specialty independent local businesses that are successful realize each of these things.

I should also mention that local businesses tend to give back to the community in which they do business. I couldn't even begin to list the LOCAL organizations, the schools, the charities, the teams etc. that we have directly or indirectly supported.

On another subject..

The rent out here is CRAZY!!! I believe independent businesses pay far more than a larger corporation for rent. That doesn't seem fair does it? I always ask people what they think we pay for rent in our businesses. Their responses are laughable because most people have no idea it is over $10k a month. In this market, with businesses closing around us, IMO landlords need to wake up and REDUCE rents on their current tenants. But what is happening? Most are raising rents and other charges despite the downturn in the economy.

Whew! That is enough for a Sunday morning!

 

The rents are crazy and I don't know how some of these stores can stay in business. I know that the property owners have expenses, but I often wonder if the landlords are just jacking the rents up to make more and more profit.

I just think it would be better to rent 14 units at $8,000 per month than NOT rent 14 units at $12,000 per month.

 

I go where the quality of the product is high, the service level is high and the prices are good or at least fair. Like I would go to Cafe Rumi for lunch rather than the usual Wegmans, because the food is equal or better, the service is great and the price is equal or better, and to support the local business.

Understood the rents are through the roof in this area, but the prices are ridiculous as well. It's a simple supply and demand concept and competitive pricing... if the prices were fair, I would use your business. For example, I'm more apt to go to a place that offers a good food, 6 dollar or less children's meal that comes with a drink (like sweetwater) vs. someplace that is going to charge me 6-8 dollars for something simple like a box of mac and cheese and no drink included. I need value for my money these days. Also, if the prices were lower I'd go more often. For example, I used to get mani/pedi at least every 3-4 weeks, but with the skyrocketing prices here and lower and lower service levels (like Diva nails) where I can't get a mani/pedi for less than 60 bucks (CRAZY, right!).... then I only go every 6-8 weeks when I really need to. Simple... lower the prices, up the customer service and I'll be there.

 

i am a huge supporter of local businesses. like others, i'd much rather shop at go bananas than a large chain. in general i do find that you will find better quality at the local business, and in almost every instance i'm willing to pay a little more for that.

i am also the owner of a small business that once looked into leasing retail/office space in the area and it's truly absurd what the rates are. the local commercial real estate market doesn't make it easy on the little guy. combine that with businesses that don't do their homework before opening in this area (or just about starting a business in general!), and the state of the economy in general, and it makes it very difficult to stay afloat. some think that raising their prices is how they will make up for the lost business, unfortunately.

i came across this site last night, and i thought it really applied well to this discussion as something to think about: http://www.the350project.net

 

Excellent link... We are members, but are not listed yet?

I like that they mentioned online shopping. We have two brick and mortar locations and online shopping. We have filled orders from just about every state in the US. But as everyone knows, we cannot collect sales tax on these purchases. That is money that IMO SHOULD be coming back to Virginia.