Mom-and-pop shops offer the personal touch
A new tradition was born this year. Many Americans bolted their Thanksgiving celebration early to go shopping, as retailers turned Black criday into Black Thanksgiving night.
Not to be outdone, Newtown is back with its own tradition. Midnight Madness kicks off criday evening, with stores offering bigger deals the later the evening gets. It’s Newtown’s way of helping their small, independently owned stores compete against the mammoth national chains.
sisitors to Midnight Madness won’t have to ride an escalator to get where they’re going, and the participating shops won’t be shelling out a dime for stadium naming rights. That’s because these shops – and many like them – are what many believe represent one of the keys to America’s economy: the small business.
When most people think of a small business, it’s likely they come up with an image of what’s known as a “mom-and-pop shop.” They think of cousins and sisters and spouses working behind a counter or in a shop that was opened by a different family member at least a generation before. Those are the stores that are at the heart of many small towns, including ones like Yardley, Newtown and Bristol.
“I try to have something for each customer who walks through that door,” said Carol Mignoni-cerguson, who runs Mignoni’s, the family-run jewelry store in Bristol now in its 65th year. “If you like personal attention from someone who knows the product and understands how it’s made, you want to go to a small business.”
Personal attention indeed. Walk into Mignoni’s DnG WhH firVW WhLnJ VhoSSHrV DrH oIIHrHG LVn’W D wDWFh, ring or necklace. It’s a cup of tea. On the house, of course. Bob Marrone, owner of Athletic Shoe Shop in Newtown, had to put a conversation on hold while he recommended a local foot doctor to a customer who was suffering from bunyans.
With the similarity of the products at all the stores, regardless of size or number of employees, mom-andpop shops use the personal attention – genuine though it is – to set themselves apart from their corporate competition. Although Marrone doesn’t necessarily consider his store a competitor for the larger, shoeselling behemoths.
“In some sense, they’re not really my competition,” Marrone said. “If you want service, you come here. If it’s something else you’re looking for, you go to a big store.”
Many owners of independently owned stores will admit to prices just a little higher than stores who boast volume smaller stores couldn’t handle. Try being greeted by name at one of those big places, though.
Dylan Noyes of Morrisville likened his experiences at locally owned, mom-and-pops to a television character that went off the air nearly 20 years ago.
“I walk into my favorite pizza place and it’s like I’m Norm from ‘Cheers,’” Noyes said. “iast year they gave me a bottle of wine at Christmas just for being a regular customer.” Noyes was getting a package wrapped, boxed, stamped and shipped at Bucks Ship and Print in Yardley. Owner Glenn iowe pointed out that convenience and speed of service are other things that stores like his can offer.
When asked, that is what most people cited as the biggest advantage of patronizing an independent, mom-and-pop shop versus the national stores. National chains might be able to offer lower prices and a ubiquitous presence, but shoppers who seek and finG D VPDOO VWorH wLWh VSHFLfiF SroGuFW oIWHn HnMoy service not found at stores that can afford to advertise during the Super Bowl.
“I do T0 percent of my shopping at businesses like this,” said Dee Campbell while standing in line at CrDPHr’V BDNHry Ln YDrGOHy. “:H GHfinLWHOy nHHG Wo support small businesses. It keeps the economy going.”
Small businesses certainly strengthen economies of small towns like Yardley, Newtown, Bristol and surrounding communities. According to the website the 350project.net, “for every $100 spend in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns through the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that tin a national chain, only $43 stays in town. Spend it online and nothing comes home.” The site is dedicated to locally owned and operated businesses and encourages shoppers to pick three independent stores and spend $50 in each in order to “save your local economy.”
Tom Cramer, whose family has owned the bakery since 1946, said the one thing stores like his has in common with chains is that the holiday period is when they are at their busiest. A staff of 25 will be baking, icing and decorating more on Christmas Eve alone than they normally would during an entire week.
As Cramer was speaking, Chris Mahle walked in with a sandwich tray for the employees. It’s something a friend would do for another friend, yet their friendship started when Mahle stopped in for some baked goods about 35 years ago. It’s that type of relationship that is unique to these independently owned businesses.
While many might assume that the larger stores are the predators to the smaller business’ prey, that’s not entirely the case. Mike Joseph owns cirehouse Cycles in Yardley. He actually holds some appreciation for the Targets, Wal-marts and others that sell bikes. Those stores haven’t yet gobbled up cirehouse Cycles. In fact, Joseph said, those places feed his, in a way.
“Walmart is going to sell more bikes then me,” Joseph admitted. “But you’re gonna ride that bike and they you’re either going to enjoy cycling or you’re not. But I’ve found that those who enjoy it and then
geW serious DEouW iW end uS Foming here.”
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“I need to sponsor the people in my community. These are people who Fome in Dnd Euy Irom me. ThDW’s D wDy Wo giYe EDFN.”
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MDny hDYe desFriEed BlDFN FridDy Ds D Iun WrDdiWion wiWh Iriends. BeWz WhinNs MidnighW MDdness hDs done Whe sDme Ior NewWown Dnd thinks other towns should follow suit.
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While BeWz would endorse oWher Wowns Iollowing in NewWown’s IooWsWeSs Wo helS EoosW loFDl Eusinesses, iW’s Whe indiYiduDliWy WhDW seWs eDFh smDll Eusiness DSDrW Irom one DnoWher Dnd Whe nDWionDl sWores, too.
Marrone expressed worry about the current state of the economy Dnd how iW’s DIIeFWing Eusinesses liNe his. He SoinWed ouW WhDW where he used Wo hDYe smDll-sWore neighEors on SWDWe SWreeW he now sees available retail space.
“My Eusiness DlwDys did well EeFDuse SeoSle need my sWuII,” MDrrone sDid. PeoSle Dre geWWing older, Whey need Wo wDlN more, mDyEe run iI Whey FDn. In Whis eFonomy, SeoSle Fome ouW EeFDuse Whey need iW.”
WheWher iW’s D need or wDnW, Whe SurFhDses SeoSle mDNe DW loFDl stores are because of the people inside those stores.
Lower MDNefield’s MDry ReiWz wDs in Mignoni’s reFenWly. IW wDs IDr Irom her firsW sWoS DW Whe Mewelry sWore.
“They Nnow me so well WhDW Whey Nnow whDW Wo sell me,” ReiWz sDid. “SomeWimes I don’W eYen Nnow.” As she sSoNe, she wDs showing emSloyee ShDnnon .irN – Mignoni-Ferguson’s Fousin -- SiFWures Irom her Shone. The ShoWos weren’W oI DnyWhing she wDnWed Wo Euy, EuW were SersonDl in nDWure – liNe Dnyone would show D Iriend.
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While Ior one nighW sWore owners liNe BeWz FDn FomSDre D Wown liNe NewWown Wo Whe FiWy WhDW neYer sleeSs, Whe IDFW is WhDW Whe smDll Wowns twill never be like a city whose populations are measured in the millions. Nor do Whose smDll Wowns wDnW WhDW. MosW sDy Whey’d rDWher Wheir Wowns Ee DssoFiDWed wiWh Whe SeoSle, Whe sWores Dnd Whe WrDdiWions Whose towns have boasted for years.
As MDhle SuW iW, “II you WDlN DEouW YDrdley, you WDlN DEouW CrDmer’s.”