Page 27 - BusinessWest November 14, 2022

RELATIONSHIPS
make all the difference
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Melissa Peavay says the pandemic helped motivate many consumers to shop local.
become a priority for many consumers, especially after the lessons — and the casualties — of the pandemic.
But she noted that ‘shopping local’ is a broad term. It means buying from local vendors, obviously, she said, but it also means buying from a local outlet of a national chain, one that is providing jobs and contrib- uting to the vibrancy of a downtown, a mall, a shopping plaza (like the Longmeadow Shops), or a community.
“Shopping with people who own their own business and live locally is wildly important,” she said. “But it’s very important to come out and shop local, even if it’s a national chain; it’s local people who work at these stores.”
The Going Rate
There are two bathrooms in the General Store at the Mill District. One, very popular with children, features a jungle motif. The other one? Well, it features one-way glass on the entire wall facing the park-
“People really find that, for them, shopping locally is meaningful beyond just the fact that it’s nice to go in and touch something and connect with someone. They also feel a point of pride shopping locally, giving a gift that has a story they heard right from the artist that made it. It becomes this sense that people are part of the recovery.”
ing lot. Those using it can see out, but no one can see in.
“Still, it can a little disconcerting or unnerving at first, but overall, it’s
different, and it’s fun,” said Stacey Theriault, owner of the store, adding that the bathroom, said to be one of just a handful in the country with such one-way glass (the others are in tourist spots), has become a talk- ing point. There’s even a sign on the property directing visitors to it that says “you have to go!”
While people might use this bathroom while visiting the store,
and others at the Mill District, it is not the reason they go there, said Rechtschaffen, adding that their primary motivation is to find a unique mix of stores and shop locally. And the General Store provides maybe the best example of this.
Staff Photo
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SHOP LOCAL
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It features thousands of different items, almost all of
Local
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