When asked to write an article regarding downtown Hollister from
a business persons perspective, I immediately said
”
Yes, I can do that!
”
When asked to write an article regarding downtown Hollister from a business persons perspective, I immediately said “Yes, I can do that!”
But then the thinking had to begin, and it is not quite as easy as I thought. What is the state of affairs in our downtown? What would I like to see happen to make our downtown business environment better? I was told to keep it professional so I took that to mean that I should not propose my tongue in cheek plan, which when you really stop to think about it, may be the perfect plan after all.
Last year, as I was listening to a radio ad from Wal-Mart, I thought it might work here if we just bulldozed all of the existing downtown area and put up the world’s biggest Wal-Mart store. The big building would be encircled by parking lots making easy access to all entrances. Never any parking issues again. And all of us highly-qualified independent retailers would become managers of the departments inside the building.
I could run the cookware department. Jerry Muenzer would run the sporting goods department. Linda and Rick Maddux would be in charge of jewelry and just think about the wonderful clothing that She’s and Drapoel’s as well as Dick Bruhn’s would provide, and the wonderful gift collections by our many merchants already in existence here.
Restaurants, bars, a taco wagon, even two newspaper offices and a lumber yard all under one roof and one corporate ownership. It would be wonderful, as we hard working managers (formerly owners) would actually be paid a salary and would get insurance benefits.
But, or course, I jest.
We want to preserve our downtown with its beautiful old buildings, and we want to work to make the existing even more successful. I was just pondering why huge big box stores work in the first place, and small town businesses have such a struggle in a less-than-favorable economy.
So what do we need in order to maintain our “Mom and Pop” independent merchants in our Mainstreet of America? We need customers!
In order to make a more pleasurable shopping experience amongst our beautiful old and new buildings, we need to have the city regain control of San Benito Street. Having busy Highway 25 going right through our downtown has divided our business district into two parts. Cars and trucks just whiz by, barely seeing anything but the car in front of them. We want you to stop and look around. Gaze up at the buildings, stare into the store windows, get out and walk around. You will be amazed what we merchants in this fabulous downtown have to offer without the big box style you are so used to patronizing in shopping centers.
The new sidewalks and the street lights and the benches have been a great addition. All of those improvements do give the feeling of more comfort and an image of greater success. We want more.
I do believe once CalTrans releases control of San Benito Street, we can merchandise our stores much better. Just being able to feel comfortable and safe crossing the street in order to browse around all of the unique businesses would be a treat. Fast cars and slow shoppers are not a fair mix.
I would like to encourage all of our city and county workers to spend more time walking around our stores, doing more shopping locally. See what it is like. Walk back and forth across San Benito Street as if you were shopping in a mall. See what it is like to be honked at by a speeding car, even when you are crossing at one of the stop lights. Then get into our stores, buy merchandise from us. Even a $5 purchase would help.
The city and county need the sales tax revenue badly. If our 50,000 or so county residents would just spend $5 (plus tax) per month in my store alone, that would be $250,000 each month times 12 months means $3 million. If we could do that, my store would be collecting nearly a quarter million dollars in state sales tax from local sales alone, and a proportion of that would stay right here in our city and county. Multiply that by every business in downtown Hollister and we would have a success story.
It is worth pondering, and I for one will answer the challenge. Live here? Like it here? Then leave it here.
