The following is a true story:
On a brilliant spring day not so long ago, the first character in our story, hereafter known as Bella Buywright, ventured out with her children to enjoy a bike ride along the newly completed Falling Waters Trail in Jackson County, Michigan. The outing was filled with the celebrated sounds of newly hatched birds and the visual delight of sprouting greenery among the Poplar and Ash trees. The ride, however, quickly became cumbersome as several years of winter-neglect on the tires and the true age of their bikes required more leg work than they had anticipated. The children began to complain that the bikes were too small—and they were. Sore from the expedition herself, having ridden a mountain bike that she’d had from a garage sale in 1991, Bella vowed this would be the year that she invested in new bikes for all of them.
As fate would have it, in the same small village Dudley Dolight and his children took on spring in the very same manner. And again, though delighted with the abundance of fresh air and enchanting sunshine along the trail, it was apparent that they also needed to make some new bike purchases.
Bella and Dudley are distinctive American consumers. With families to support in a middle class setting, each knows the value of a dollar in 2008 and each is feeling the pinch of economic instability. However, the two would make very divergent decisions on where to purchase the family bikes- with two very different impacts on their ultimate wealth and well being.
Dudley made the trip into a well-known discount retailer; known as The Dall Mart. After circling the lot twice, he found a parking spot in the third row about 18 spaces from the front door. Upon entering the store, he passed an employee that smiled and commented about the weather. He knew the general vicinity of sporting goods, so he headed swiftly in that direction, anxious to see the new spring inventory of bikes. He soon found himself looking through a discount bin of Easter candy and picked up several bags to take home. Next, beyond the toiletry aisle, Dudley spotted a display of sunscreen and beach towels and thought that perhaps he ought to stock up for the Memorial Day camping trip (especially given these prices). By this time, he was scanning the aisles for an abandoned cart. Near the potting soil and pet food, he emptied his arms of his load. He also picked up some fertilizer, a pack of dog bones for Spot and then pushed on to find the bikes. 15 minutes into his excursion, he spotted a row of sizes perfect for his kids and one about right for him. But he couldn’t get all of the desired bikes down from their display and began to look about for a store employee to assist. It was three rows down in the music and video section that Dudley asked for help. An additional 4 minutes would pass before someone in the sporting goods department came to see him.
Bella, on a day trip into town with her children in tow, decided to give a local bike shop a look (and we will call them Paddle and Tire). Once inside the front door, after much instruction to her children to behave, she was met with a smile from the owner of the store who also served on the PTA with her husband. Bella made her reason for the trip known as they glanced over the shiny bikes just beyond them. The kids took to the store’s resident pets- two friendly, adorable dogs- allowing Bella time to inquire and look about.
After his wait, Dudley checked each of the bikes over, squeezing tires and checking the price tags but was not able to test-ride them inside the store. The employee talked about the sale they had going on and that the bikes would come in boxes, unless he wanted the store to handle the assembly (for a small fee). When asked if the bikes were the right size for his 10 and 5 year old, the salesman bent down to look at the brochure attached to the floor model and said, “It says here 75-115 pounds.” That sounded about right so Dudley picked his bikes, opted for in-store assembly and spent 45 minutes browsing and eating at Hamburger Palace under the Dall Mart roof. An hour later, he checked out. We will not elaborate on the mix-up at the counter on where the assembled bikes had gone or on how long it took to get all of them into the bed of his pickup after an interesting journey in the parking lot. But alas, the bikes were headed home.
The owner of Paddle and Tire brought a polite young man and introduced him to Bella. This young man asked several pointed questions about bike riding habits of the family and planned usage for the bikes. Based on her answers, Bella’s children were given several options to try out. They rode, delighted in circles on the stores vast, historical wooden floors with the dogs watching. Next it was Bella’s turn and she rode four different models, selected and adjusted for her exact inseam and arm reach, around the city block outside to test them while the kids stayed safe and entertained inside the store. She made her selections. The bikes were checked over while she and the children visited a local bookstore around the block to spend 20 minutes delighting in their atmosphere and smoothies. Upon their return to the bike shop, the new purchases were brought directly to her SUV and helped in by the nice young man who had asked all the questions. With a thanks and a handshake, the family was on their way.
Now, we will not include details about receipts as it is enough to say that Bella spent more in monetary expenditures on her bikes (though given a courtesy discount by the store owner) and Dudley’s receipt reflected additional purchases that were not intended. Though in a downtown setting, Bella parked right outside the front door of the store, saving the parking lot hassle. She was helped instantly and checked out immediately, cutting 28 minutes off of her in-store transit time. The bikes were already assembled and subsequently adjusted to her family’s exact measurements, saving time and hassle at home with a wrench. Bella’s bikes were backed by a lifetime warranty that came with the bikes and when after a year one of the boy’s pedals will come loose from wear and tear, the bike shop will only take 10 minutes to fix it in their building- no charge. As for Dudley’s bike, when the seat became loose after a couple of weeks and its stitching frayed, he inquired at Dall Mart about what could be done. He was helped by a new sales associate in the sporting goods department that needed a manager to let Dudley know that The Swifty Petal model that he had purchased had been recalled and he would need to bring the bike back for a replacement. He was warned, however, that the replacement may take up to six weeks to receive. He never went back.
Bella and Dudley’s families pass one another from time to time on the trail and wave-- when Dudley isn’t on the side, adjusting his seat.
*It is also keen to note that the money spent at Paddle and Tire on bikes helped to fund the several community and family events planned for the summer, as it has for years. That store also purchases their signage, print materials, insurance, design work, accounting, and other services through Jackson County sources and business people. As mentioned, the owner of Paddle and Tire sits on the local PTA and is invested personally in school events, fundraising, and votes for local decisions on other boards that he serves. He has restored a historical building (with local contractors) that is a source of pride in downtown landscape. Dall Mart has not and is not able to do any of the above for the community.
*Based on actual events. Names have been changed to protect those involved.
Hi Nomad,
Great Post. I recently read The Small Mart Revolution, which I first found in your bookhouse. I was really interested in the "Local First" movements going on in all of their different forms. I've been to the Nomad several times, and I just love the atmosphere. You guys have a great selection, especially the local economics shelf and the Michigan specific shelf, which is where I find myself buying my books from. I love your bookstore and your philosophy toward local and sustainable practices.
Keep up the good work!
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