Long live main street

I'm sure you've heard IRL retail is dead. They've been shouting it from the rooftops and Google feeds for years. This kills me because my dream has been to open up a retail shop. One that is part of the community, a place that paves the way for other small businesses in the area to do the same, a place I want to work everyday, and that people, of course, want to visit. I won't get on my soapbox about the importance of small businesses for community building, but I'm 100% a believer in it.

That's why, when I stumbled upon this article on Domino I was happy to see retail is still relevant — really relevant. While the narrative usually puts the pressure on customers to support small businesses, I think that's only half the story. Yes, please, please, please shop local and small when you can, but business owners need to listen to their customers and give customers an experience they can't get online.

Booktowne, Manasquan NJ (photo: Booktowne Facebook): A charming seaside bookstore that delights its customers daily from author signings to Where's Waldo book searches.