I just want to share, with my friends in the GMD community, a letter that I have sent to the St. Albans Messenger.

As Thanksgiving draws near, and Black Friday creeps up ever closer to the pumpkin pie course; I want to take this opportunity to wish local Wal-Mart shoppers a Merry Christmas.

You will now have the opportunity to prove what you and Jeff Davis have been insisting over the years: that downtown retailers can continue to thrive in the wake of Walmart.  I say that “you” will have that opportunity, because it is upon your continued patronage of downtown retail that this promise depends.

It’s great that there are no empty storefronts on Main St., but lest the illusion of full occupancy lulls us into a false sense of well-being,  I’d like to point out that the vast majority of new occupants are businesses that have moved from other nearby locations to fill the vacancies; and they almost all fall into the categories of giftshops, galleries, antique shops and resale stores.  Those are all great sectors which we are glad to have here; but, by themselves, they do not a healthy traditional downtown make.

In order to fulfill the Walmart promise of benignity, stores that have been serving the City’s practical needs throughout the years must survive, too.  For that reason, I have compiled a list of retail businesses of relatively long-standing on and near Main St. in the City that will serve as my own personal bellwethers as to how well that promise is fulfilled.

These retailers continued to uphold the practical meaning of “downtown,” supplying us with everyday needs like milk, bandaids, potholders and tube socks; and special occasion things like flowers, candles, chocolates and the occasional engagement ring.

In the foreshadowing of Walmart, we’ve lost a drugstore, a toy and book shop, and a couple of clothing stores; but these loyal retailers continue to demonstrate their faith in Main St.  For that they deserve a shout-out, a little of our own loyalty, and the benefit of our continued patronage:

East side:

Kevin Smith’s Sport Connection

Rail City Market

Maple City Candies

Eaton’s Fine Jewellery

As the Crow Flies



West side:

Howard’s Florist Shop

Moonshadows

Rite-Aid

J.C. Penney



All around downtown:

Food City

Betty’s Flower Basket

Ace Hardware

St. Albans Co-op



And let’s not forget Bob’s Meat Market up there on Barlow St.

If we can hang on to all of these faithful retailers, and add back a couple of replacements for the sectors that have disappeared, you might actually convince me that Wal-Mart won’t hurt downtown St. Albans; but that is up to local consumers.

If you saw Wal-Mart’s sign trunk drive back and forth in front of Rite-Aid offering incentives to move your prescriptions, and you did, you have already participated in phase-one of the gradual erosion of retail services to our central neighborhoods; because that’s the way it works.

You have the power of the purse; and with that power you can decide whether or not to prove us right in saying that Wal-Mart will destroy our local economy and the retail choices we still enjoy in our very own traditional downtown.

Go ahead and prove us wrong.