by Erik Hare
Saint Paul is graced with many retail corridors that have become destinations for shoppers. Grand Avenue and Selby Avenue are quite well known, as are Ford Parkway and Cesar Chavez. There are also West Seventh, University Avenue, and lower Payne Avenue, among a lot of others. Each is lined with specialty shops that are run by local entrepreneurs selling things that are hard to find anywhere else.
What’s so great about these stores? It’s true that if you know exactly what you want you might be able to find a better deal on the internet. But that’s not often the case, especially if you like to lead a life full of many delightful surprises. If you need a gift for a friend or would like to have a new experience of some kind, the real value of local stores isn’t just what they have on hand.
The entrepreneurs that own them have gone into the business they run because they are excited about what they do; they’re into it. They usually know something about what they sell that you don’t, and are happy to tell you all about it. They also usually staff their stores themselves, rather than turn it over to kids who know nothing.
Let’s say that you want a gift for a cigar aficionado but know nothing about it yourself. The Golden Leaf Smoke Shop at 277 West Seventh, pictured, is a place that provides a haven for cigar smokers. It’s not just a store, it’s a wealth of information about a world that many people know nothing about. If you’re looking for something along these lines, you can go there and chat with the customers and sales staff to educate yourself about that world.
The same is true of our antique stores, florists, craft stores, and other specialty places. Don’t think of them as just places where you buy things, as good as that is for the economy of Saint Paul. Think of these places as a wealth of information that help you to be a better consumer as well as a better citizen. It’s to your benefit to get to know them in more ways than one!
As the weather becomes better suited for just hanging around outside and getting a little exercise, a stroll down any of Saint Paul’s retail streets is a good way to enjoy the weather and enjoy the city. You never know what you might find and you never know what you might learn. Give it a try!
It is great to have community retail businesses like that. It adds charm and a sense of locality. The sweeping national problem is that the local and/or tourist spending tends not to support that type of area or specific businesses for long. With trends in the internet shift, a lot of products have become “commoditized” and people are looking in the stores and then surfing for the best bargain. There has to be some trend, perhaps a “boutique” approach to certain product lines to keep the business in the shops.
The trend has been for historic and downtown businesses struggling, but if there is a good level of community support, then “bravo” to the neighborhood!