Avoiding chain stores in the Bay Area
No matter where you live in the USA, chain stores are everywhere, especially in the suburbs. There are hidden negatives to spending your money there:
- Homogeneous shopping experience such that where you live has no unique character.
- Money leaves the community, which lowers tax revenues. Money going into the pocket of local entrepreneurs that are likely to put that money back into other local businesses.
- Difficult for local entrepreneurs to compete, especially due to municipalities giving subsidies and tax breaks to large national chains.
- Stores commonly understaffed with people that lack knowledge and motivation, usually due to low pay and poor benefits.
- Less local jobs due to lower staffing by chain stores.
- Local businesses can be a social experience as they live in the community and they stay with the business for a very long time. Fast turnover at chains means you can’t build these relationships.
- While a chain may have better prices (although you’d be surprised), consider how you spend less time in smaller, better staffed stores, with knowledgable employees.