Earlier this week, a committee of Youngstown City Council asked all the owners of the city's small stores to come to a special meeting to address the residents' complaints. Only one store owner attended. There has been a perception that the owners of these small stores do not treat the customers with respect and do not sell quality merchandise to the residents of the inner city.
If you shop at a small neighborhood store, what is your opinion about this issue?
I can only speak about the little grocery store across the street from me, and I can honestly say that I have absolutely no complaints about it. The owners are wonderful folks that do their level best to meet the needs of their customers,and while their prices can't compete with Sparkles or Giant Eagle, they are reasonable. It's a family store, and whenever possable I fully support it.
Anytime you visit a "convenience" store, you can expect to pay a little
(and, sometimes.. a LOT) more for any given item. But in the case
that Towntalk makes - these folks are NICE folks...I've met them and
totally agree. Their prices aren't bad at all, for a small, family-run
store. Their hours are pretty decent, also.
In earlier times Youngstown had hundreds of these "mom and pop shops"
in just about all of her neighborhoods. Briar hill, Smokey Hollow,
South Side, etc. It's kind of sad that the modern-day giant chain
stores have all but put them out of business.
I used to live on the third floor of a mixed retail/residential building
on Elm Street and (side street name eludes me...) It had two
store fronts on the ground level - one was "AAron's Kosher Store"
and the other side was vacant the first time I saw this building.
It's a shame they tore it down - it was very beautiful inside - with
lots of oak hardwood floors, etc.
:)