The Charm of Small Town Shopping Posted Aug 14, 2024
Recently I made a trip to “the city”. Halifax, the largest metropolitan area east of Montreal is always referred to as “the city” by those of us (Nova Scotians, OK Mainland Nova Scotians) who don’t call it home. Later that day as I drove back to “the valley”(what Haligonians call where I live) I thought about my experience at one of the largest shopping centres in the Atlantic Provinces and how it compared with my daily experience as a shop owner in a small town.
OK PARKING - it took a solid 15 minutes to find a parking spot and having lost my car in similar quagmires, I took a photo of it with identifiable landmarks as well as a photo of the mall entrance itself to ensure I could find my car easily when I made my retreat. Once bitten, twice shy. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I can get in AND OUT of the local Pharmasave or Freshmart Grocery (the largest stores in town) in 15 minutes. Easily. As long as I don't run into someone I know, in which case all bets are off and the chances of that happening are better than good. But that is a different thing entirely isn't it.
Once inside amongst throngs of shoppers, I had the strangest feeling of isolation. How odd to feel alone amongst hundreds, if not thousands, of people. But the mall isn’t an environment that encourages social interaction with its recycled air, harsh lighting and white noise.
There aren't many shop “keepers” at the mall but there are plenty of store managers and sales associates. Employees of national/international retail chains with, at the very, very least four levels of management separateling them from the decision making executive team. With direction in all areas of the business coming from a corporate office; everything from merchandise selection to how it should be displayed, how to greet customers or how many pieces of lettuce to put on a burger, its difficult to instil a sense of ownership, loyalty and excitement down through the chain of command. Its a challenge and that challenge is met with varying degrees of success.
All of this in stark contrast to my days as a shop owner in a small town. Many (not all) of my retail companions in Bridgetown are a one woman (or one man)show. (If we are closed we are probably at the dentist or doctor, the odd haircut) We are responsible for the look and feel of our shops. We know our merchandise because we agonized over selecting it and we plan our shops and display product however we want. It’s personal. My favourite area of my shop is shown in this picture. It has nothing to do with selling a product and everything to do with my desire to create a welcoming space, a place to relax, a place for conversation. An experience that goes beyond a transaction and speaks to the value of community and connection.
One day last week, I was a little late opening. Shortly after putting out my OPEN flag, a woman came in and said she had wondered whether or not I was opening that day. As I started to explain, she interrupted and said “oh, I know, I was just at Endless Shores Books and the lady there told me you had just been in to buy pens and that you were on your way to open your shop”. That’s how it is in a small town. We support each other and in doing so we strive to create a shopping experience where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
That said, I am glad for that mall and look forward to checking in several times a year but there is no denying the significant differences between the mall experience and the unique charm of shopping in a small town. You won’t need to take a picture of your parking spot either!