English
Thesis Statement
Whether you’re in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York or Boston, consumers have the advantage of walking into chain stores that have exclusive stores that cater to Gap, Anthropologie, and Starbucks to name a few. So, what makes these names so special in the context of the cities of the United States? All these cities and more, have chain stores like Gap, Anthropologie and Starbucks available there. One may argue that in the age of the internet where one can purchase just about everything online, why would you need these chain stores? Point noted, but the fact remains that the experience of shopping online does not match the experience of physical shopping. Also, if you wanted a particular dress or accessory, you may not want to buy what you see on the internet because, what one sees in photos and videos may not match the color contrast or match the actual size and fabric comfort which one can only satisfy physically. Once you’re done with your shopping, what better than to walk into Starbucks for a hot or iced Vanilla Latte, depending on your mood. Retail chain stores are here to stay and if you’re not convinced ask the thousands of customers how they feel about having such retail chain stores all over the U.S.
Keywords: consumer, accessibility, choice, experience, outdoors
IN PRAISE OF CHAIN STORES
Is the mushrooming of chain stores killing shopping experiences? It would be hard to answer this question without understanding their relevance to society. Many small retain sellers would, without any hesitation say that they are killing their livelihood, but consumers may find the mushrooming of popular chain stores more than welcome. Rachel Dresbeck, the author of ‘Insider’s Guide to Portland, Oregon, once said that “Americans live in a Stepford World.” (Postrel, 2006) What she meant to say was that no matter where one went to in Portland, they would run into chain stores everywhere. She goes on to say that even Faneuil Hall is “dominated by retailers like Gap, Anthropologie, Starbucks, and all the other usual suspects” (Postrel, 2006). In writing this, Postrel has failed to understand that chain stores offer a host of options to shoppers under a single roof and the experience of shopping there is far more exciting and enjoyable. In addition to these benefits, shopping in chain stores can cut costs, time and travel.
One of the fastest-growing cities in the country, Chandler is definitely the kind of place urbanites have in mind, Why wouldn’t they, for if a fast growing city like Chandler can offer just about everything that a metropolis can offer, the people of Chandler will have no cause to argue. What chain stores bring to small towns and cities is the city life and also products and services to offer better lifestyles. As Postrel reported, if at Chandler Fashion Center, there are P. F. Chang’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and the Cheesecake Factory, it speaks of the huge business opportunity available in that town. People from Chandler need not travel out to cities to experience the excitement of shopping in such chain stores when they have this right at their doorstep. This is what chain stores bring to Americans living in towns.
Today, companies and retailers target the needs of the customer. For customers to reach them, it would be difficult for each retailer to open stores of their own as that would increase overheads and lead to price escalation. Chain stores reduce establishment costs and help in distribution of products to many more destinations at a fair cost. In addition to this, customers get to see, feel and experience shopping in a way that they have never experienced before. With the advent of chain stores, customers now have the luxury of choosing products of their choice without having to travel from one corner of the city or town to another. Building customer relationship is a prerogative to success and it eclipses just about every other functionalities of any retailer. For without customers, how can a business survive? It thus becomes important for retailers, to initiate strategies that are targeted to favor customers. And what better way to showcase their products and services than through chain stores that have nationwide presence?
In order to maintain an inveterate relationship with consumers, retailers like Gap and Starbucks need to stress more on relationship marketing. Relationship marketing evolves from the need to create a strong, lasting relationship through which customers become family. With consumers becoming ever more conscious of their needs and what is available to them in the market, it is difficult to just ask them to buy your product for what they are. They need to know what is being offered and at what price. This is best done when they have access to the products directly. “In 1986, when California Pizza Kitchen was an innovative local restaurant about to open its second location, food writers at the L.A. Daily News said that “it was the kind of place every neighborhood should have” (Postrel, 2006). It was a revolutionary idea and why they chose to have a second one is not what matters, but how many more they opened later. It must be understood that chain stores are able to cater to such businesses as they have far more reach and are ideally located making them easily accessible for customers.
In order to substantiate this view, imagine that someone (John) went to Seattle on business and had the pleasure of bumping into an old friend (Susan) of theirs one evening. Susan took him to a mall that housed a coffee store and introduced him to a special beverage; the Salted Caramel Mocha, which she found to be very different but nice. The meeting was in a cozy and ambient environment. The hostess at the counter was very polite and took good care to ask all the finite information on how they wanted their Mocha. John didn’t notice the time fly, totally engrossed in the discussion and enjoying the new drink that was served, until it was time to leave. The meeting was memorable for two things; the first being the meeting of Susan after nearly a decade, and two, the great place where they spent time over a cup of salted caramel mocha. John spends some time at the mall shopping for his family after seeing Susan off at the car park. Once his business is complete in Seattle the next day, he flies back to Boston, carrying with him the fond memories of seeing Susan and drinking salted caramel mocha. One day, John plans to meet a business associate and wants to impress him. He looked for Starbucks and found that they don’t have a store in Boston. Frustrated, John looked for another place to meet. Over a period of time, the focus of enjoying the mocha suddenly disappears and John’s inclination to taste the salted caramel mocha dies down. For Starbucks, this relates to business loss. This is what happens in reality too. It is in consideration of this that chain stores have opened in most, if not in many cities across the United States. The idea of opening such stores is to allow business houses to stay close to their valuable customers and ensure that they don’t miss out on something they cherish. As Postrel (2006) states, “Before they became a ubiquitous part of urban life, Starbucks was, in most American cities, a radically new idea,” but thanks to chain stores, they are now well accepted throughout the country.
Chain stores give customers the freedom to select by choice and at the same time, giving them space to explore new things. The idea of opening more chain stores is to help customers buy their favorite product(s) at a convenient place near them. Chain stores are found in localities that easily accessible. To her argument that big cities support more retail niches than small towns and as an incentive to their buyers, offer more efficiency in prices, service, and merchandise quality, it can be said that smaller towns need only a few chain stores to cater to their population. Also, since it takes less time to travel to destinations in smaller towns, the time to travel to such chain stores is worth it as it caters to their needs. Chain stores make a large range of choices available under a single roof in more places so that customers don’t have to travel far to buy them. This point is explicitly supported by Postrel (2006), when she gives the example of Borders, a unique Ann Arbor institution, that didn’t have such bookstores in places like Chandler, Philadelphia or Los Angeles. So, what would one have to do if they didn’t have Borders in their city or town? They would have to travel to a city where Borders is available. This is what chain stores offer customers; the liberty to shop in their own town or city without having to compromise on brands, quality and pricing.
Conclusion
Chain stores are here to stay and for a good reason too. They provide variety, enjoyment and space, things that general stores can’t provide. As Postrel said, “chain stores allow customers even in cities of 250,000 to enjoy retail amenities once available only in a huge metropolitan center.” This is wonderful news, as people living in remote towns across the country could now experience the fun of shopping. Families could spend quality time eating and shopping at chain stores. Chain stores answer to the questions, “What do customers look for when the go shopping, and where do they go? Another question that can reveal the importance of chain stores is, “Does having an automobile showroom far from the city good business acumen? The answers are right before your eyes.
Works Cited
Postrel, V, (2006), In Praise of Chain Stores: They aren't destroying local flavor--they're providing variety and comfort, The Atlantic, Journal, http://vpostrel.com/articles/in-praise-of-chain-stores
