dashPunk Hope for Better Shops

There is still hope but we the consumer are key to that hope. In a day and age where, at least in the U.S., we see more and more cities change; the small shop areas close their doors, board up their windows and become ghost towns.

There are still entrepreneurs out there willing to take the bold move to open up their own small shops to bring the personal investment back to their communities. The catch is that we as consumers need to help them by creating an environment that will allow them to thrive. Take this story out of the UK as an example of this.

Jessica Stockton-Bangnulo has hopes to open up her own bookshop in Brooklyn. Imagine how cool would it be to shop at a bookshop that is "...a small bookstore with a cafe, a wine bar, lots of wood and lots of brick." She wants to open up this shop but one of the things holding her back is that "I want to go to a neighborhood that needs a bookstore and can support one," she said. That does not mean that she is afraid of big box stores , "It's not impossible for an independent bookstore to survive, even when large chains are nearby," as she said. It just requires a neighborhood that would support a small bookstore shop.

So remember dashPunks out there, support that which you want to see more of. If you are fortunate enough to still have small shops in your neighborhood than talk with the owners, let them know what you like about their shop and support them. If they are no good than talk with the owner, tastefully let them know what you don't like and offer ideas as to how they can make it better you may be surprised to learn how willing most small shop owners are to reasonable change. If we as consumers make our neighborhoods better environments for the indi-shops they will come!

(via NY Daily News )