Mom and Pop merchandise Stores

The Wal-Mart closings remind me a lot of when the major bookstores closed here in California. My wife reads a lot and so doesn't like to read Kindle books. She prefers the old way of going to a book store, looking at the books and buying paperbacks (or hardbounds) for things she wants to keep in our library long term. Then she usually gives the books she reads to one of her friends and then they give it them to someone else interested in reading them.

So, Wal-Mart which first came in and basically undercut all the local Mom and Pop merchandise or food stores 20 or 30 years ago, now are being undercut by Amazon and other online retailers who can sell for less with no store fronts.

However, just like with books that often leaves no local stores to buy from for what people want which might create niche opportunities for local Mom and Pop stores once again for people who want something right now instead of waiting 2 days to 1 week to get them.

So, as Wal-Marts close this might be an opportunity for smaller niche stores once again.

Whereas when I read I use Kindle because I can make the print any size so it doesn't give me a headache from reading print too small. I had a lot of problems because I had perfect vision until I was about 45 years old. So my brain got used to having perfect vision so long. In fact one eye was better than 20-20 which means one was 20-100 which meant I had a lot of clarity even looking at things at a distance. My step son was like this too. They called him "Eagle Eye" at an Audubon Camp in Wyoming when he was 18 because he could see birds at a further distance with the naked eye than anyone else there. He also started the first Wilderness Club at his High School then.

Business is about opportunity in the end and if you can fill a genuine need people have sometimes you can have a business that can last a long time as long as it isn't cost effective for a larger business to go into business against you in that area. So, the number usually is a gross of $250,000 a year or less to do this in any area. This is not your net this is only your gross sales. From this you have to deduct your operating expenses. Also, I always preferred service businesses rather than having to buy or rent a storefront. This way often you can conduct business right from your den, living room, Kitchen or garage depending upon what you are selling or what service you are providing. This greatly reduces your business costs and raises your profits as long as people know you exist and you have repeat customers who tell others about your great service and what great people you are at helping everyone.

However, you have to remember you are also competing with online businesses like Amazon and others so you have to have some kind of gimmick to make people want to buy from you rather than someone else even if it is that you are always very friendly and sociable and your hours are good. The more you do to satisfy customers the more they tend to beat a path to your door.

A satisfied customer often brings your business to a peak by telling others and this can be a very good thing if you own such a business.