Its no surprise. When you pass through downtown Plymouth, you see quite a few empty storefronts. Its a multi-faceted issue, but here are few large contributing factors (spoiler alert: it isnt just the business owners fault) 1) The lack of interesting, revenue-generating businesses that draw groups of people from all segments of the regional demographic. 2) The people of Plymouth dont support the small businesses downtown. A like on Facebook does not translate to dollars, regardless of how much youd like it to. 3) The businesses have the varying hours and dont promote their products and events to the public. When people dont consistently go downtown to shop and eat, businesses have felt the need to reduce their operating hours. This only further perpetuates the mindset of the public to got elsewhere. There are even new businesses that have opened in the last few months that arent open on Saturday or Sunday afternoon and close before 6pm through the week. When are working people supposed to go shop, then? One of my biggest concerns with Plymouth has long been the operating hours. After 5pm though the week, its hard to find businesses still open, and on the weekends, good luck finding anything open. That said, there are a small number of businesses downtown fighting the good fight. It will take more than that, though. The public needs to get behind them all and spend money downtown. The businesses need to take a risk and stay open longer and for each day of the week. It will take time, but we need to reset this perception. How do we do this? As I wrote above, it isnt a one-sided issue, and therefor requires much more than a one-sided solution. - Businesses need to market their business to everybody, young and old alike. Make your brand relevant to the current citizenship, not your personal preference. Just because you dont understand the hype behind something or have always done something one way for a couple decades doesnt mean it is or will continue to work now. Simply put, it isnt working. Seek out your most regular customers and find out what they do like and what they dont like. Then act on it. - The public needs to forgo the trips to Walmart or South Bend, and spend time and money downtown. We need to support our local business owners. If you happen to know some of them and have a relationship, offer some insight into what you experience when you visit the store. Maybe an idea or two about what you would like to see happen. Lastly, there are types of businesses that simply will not thrive in todays technology-driven market. Bookstores, antique shops, and thrift stores, for instance. There is nothing wrong with them, and I enjoy shopping at them. However, those arent the types of businesses that generate a buzz and excitement around a geographical location. Businesses and unique shops that offer something you cant get elsewhere do. Places that offer food, drink, and entertainment do. Places where people gather. Places where memories are made. These are the places people are drawn to and will spend money, tell their friends and family about it, and keep coming back. If we put the time and energy in, on both sides, over months and years, revitalization will take place. Change the perception. Reject complacency. Lets create a new reality.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:42:30 +0000
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