Jan
15
Another Grocery Store Survey
ByThere has been a revision to the grocery store survey and I have been asked to provide an updated link (below).
Here is some background on the survey and its motives at the Hometown Clipper. Check it out.
It is hard to get excited about a market after all the years we have heard about it. Yet, we still hope.
What are your hobbies?!?
Cruising for babes in aisle 6.
Shoplifting sudafed…
One important question was left off of the survey: What is the zip code where you work. You see stores do this all the time to understand the demographic of their shoppers. In DuPont, the market is really only being pushed by those who live and work here, they get the biggest benefit. Everyone else has learned to cope with driving to Lacey and Lakewood.
That little habit of driving to Lakewood & Lacey every other day to pick up the small stuff or pharmacy will hopefully change if we can get a grocer in here.
IF we get a market. I can’t see it happening, sorry to say. I real question is a town as small as DuPont going to be able to pull it off. By the looks of the survey it isn’t some small or medium chain, it seems more mom and pop than that. I can’t see anyone putting up millions in their own cash to build here. When was the last time anyone pulled off the freeway to stop at a super market?
Q: Who passes through DuPont?
A: People with supermarkets in their town (unless they live on Anderson Island.
I wish them luck, but based on the quality of the survey something isn’t adding up.
I’ve asked around with the business leaders, leasing agents, done a little survey of my own. There is not enough volume of traffic in town to support a grocery store.
Too many professionals in the business have already looked at it and studied it – Trader Joes, Walgreens, Red Apple, Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer to name a few.
We’ve got a Chevron, it won’t get much better than that for a long time.
D. – Your right on with your comments. I don’t see it happening either, at least not for a looonnnnggg time. There are sure a lot of wishful services in this town, but most aren’t feasible. I still like living here though! I think this survey is a ruse to get us sidetracked from Haiku. Can’t we just continue with the poems? They are pretty funny!
Mike – do we have to take this survey again? Will the first one count for the “Clipper?
I don’t think you have to take it again.
It takes a lot of $$$ to finance a grocery. Tough to get a loan right now. The only fighting chance is a name brand chain with the equity to secure the capital or someone with a large bankroll.
But that said, if someone took the risk I think it would get support. I just am skeptical that it is happening when the time to strike the iron has passed and the economy is too uncertain.
With the way the economy is right now there just isn’t going to be anyone building a large scale facility in the near future. Banks may have money to lend, but they will be hard pressed to lend it out on commercial projects like this and forget about investors, they’re too scared right now too to lend their money. If any small Mom and Pop has the right idea, they would take over Yon’s space and turn it into a small grocery store. It already has some fridge space for produce. But again, the rents are simply TOO HIGH for the businesses to stay open. Next up… DuPont Cleaners followed by one of the nail salons most likely. Both of these are places where people go when they have extra money and with military uniforms now machine washable and wrinkle-free the cleaners probably isn’t doing as much business as it used to.
HH Resident – have you talked to the owners of these businesses you say will be going under soon? Businesses everywhere are struggling. The only thing I’ve heard the Cleaners complaining about is parking.
Have you looked at construction costs lately? They have dropped considerably. If someone has the financing put together, and believe it or not, some people do, they can put a business together today with a lower construction cost than a year ago. It’s not all doom and gloom. Apparently the new asian restaurant opened its doors today in the old bakery. Places are packed in DuPont during lunch thanks to our soldiers. There are major businesses in town who feel the addition of a grocery store will only help and not hurt our economy. I personally think the developer is to blame for not having a grocery store in town by now. We’ll just have to see what the survey results look like. The person doing this survey isn’t associated to any developer, the city, the paper, etc. It’s just someone who wants answers and is tired of the speculation.
A grocery in Yons? That is ridiculous considering you can buy a few staples at Chevron. With perspective like that, no wonder businesses fail in DuPont.
I agree w/Palisade Res – there are some that have $$ to invest. Stores that are successful in Dupont have their prices in line with what we are willing to pay. Some stores have their prices too high – ie Posh Paw. I think we will utilize services that are needed, like a grocery store as long as the price is competitive. I wont pay $5 for a stick of butter.
Are we to believe that this survey is serious? It is done on some free website and the questions show whoever wrote it has zero marketing experience. I expect the city to put out something this shabby, not a entrepreneur looking to make a million dollar investment. Can we please hire a real community development director so we do not have to endure some amateur clown toying with our emotions by playing with some web toy?
I don’t think it’s a free website. The person running the survey has to pay for it. before you get to critical, think about what else has been done to-date………that’s right. Nothing. Even the previous comm. dev. director wouldn’t do anything. The questions asked are pretty good, in my opinion. Erica, if you have marketing experience and can write a better survey, then by all means go for it. How is this survey toying with your emotions? There is no promise attached that if you fill this thing out that we will get a grocery store. If you don’t want to take it, then don’t. no one is holding you hostage to do so.
Palisade Res, sorry if it touched a nerve or you have an affiliation with it but do you honestly think that something is always better than nothing? What demographic picture do the questions hope to paint? It is toying with people implying that the person asking the questions will somehow use the data to lure in a market. It is idle fantasy. It is a chicken and egg argument, who would invest here with a CBD that consists of a nail salon, insurance salesman, and tax consultant business? If we had a market we would lure in better businesses. You are right about one thing, leave this stuff to the pros and not some citizen with too much free time on their hands. Pressure the city to act like leaders.
I get tired of people critizing someone who is trying to find out what the hell is going on with this town. Our City leaders cant seem to do it. Please forgive those of us who want to help, and contribute something positive to this community, but get shot down by not only our City leaders, but computer-armchair quarterbacks. I think the data will answer more than you think. The City has no intentions of doing any kind of data research for any issue – be it a grocery store, or property tax levy. They operate in a bubble on Barksdale and don’t bother reaching out beyond the confines of their council chambers to find out what Community needs are.