THURSDAY,MARCH 6,2003
COVER STORY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 9
Downtown
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
morning, Quinn said.
While those numbers may be accurate, it's hard to argue that the corporate retailers in downtown Lawrence have done much to thwart the goals of their locally owned counterparts. In some instances, the presence of those stores might actually bring more shoppers to the area, said Downtown Lawrence Inc. co-director Melodie E. Christal.
"They're businesses people were going out of town for anyway, before they moved in," Christal said. She said she would rather have people shopping at the corporate retailers downtown than going somewhere else to shop.
So far that seems to be the case.
When Borders moved into downtown Lawrence on the corner of Seventh and New Hampshire streets more than six years ago, the retail giant's arrival was supposed to be the death knell for local bookstores like The Raven Book-
ore. Similar predictions were made for the fate of
"I wouldn't say it helped our business, but it could have made people more aware of us, and made them more conscious of shopping at a locally owned store."
Jill Reese La Prima Tazza employee
locally owned La Prima Tazza, 638 Massachusetts St., when Starbucks Coffee came to Lawrence a few years later. To date both businesses are alive and well.
Jill Reese, La Prima Tazza employee for five years, said she had been interested in how the community would respond when Starbucks moved in, and so far the effects had been positive. Reese attributed most of those positive effects to increased local support since the grande coffee retailer
"I like to have an understanding of where things come from and what I consume.I like to know where my money's going, and it's easier to have accountability for that with a local business."
Brandon Baket/Kansan
Bret Raney
Pat Kehde, co-owner of The Raven Bookstore, continues to do business with local residents though Borders Books, Music & Cafe is a block around the corner. "The day Borders opened was our biggest day ever," Kehde said about the competition of corporations and the amount of support local shoppers have given The Raven.
Brandon Baker/Kansan
Bret Raney, Lawrence senior, rides the bus to and home from Haskell Indian Nations University, where he attends classes. Raney has been trying to support only local business for three years because that gives him a sense of connection. "I like to have a closer impact on things," Raney said about why he preferred local to corporate products.
"I think Lawrence is extremely fortunate because the downtown has retained this aura as an interesting, boutiquey sort of place."
Pat Kehde
Co-owner of The Raven Bookstore
moved in across the street at 647 Massachusetts St.
"I wouldn't say it helped our business, but it could have made people more aware of us, and made them more conscious of shopping at a locally owned store," Reese said.
Pat Kehde, co-owner of the The Raven Bookstore, 8 E. Seventh St., agrees with Reese. A combination of increased awareness among shoppers about local businesses and a renewed commitment to customer service has helped her store stand out from the big box across the street, Kehde said.
She estimates that The Raven does 50 to 100 special orders for customers every week.
The store offers a discount card for repeat customers that gives them a $10 discount for every $75 spent.
But Kehde knows it's more than just the service offered inside her store that brings shoppers downtown.
"I think Lawrence is extremely fortunate because the downtown has retained this aura as an interesting, boutique sort of place," Kehde said. "The buildings are unique, they aren't these big, monolithic structures, and people come from out of town looking for that. If it wasn't here they'd be disappointed."
When people aren't looking for that aura they can shop online, a prospect that has done more to hurt the The Raven's business than Borders ever did, Kehde said.
Kehde said that the aura of downtown Lawrence helped businesses like hers survive and strive.
When it comes to loyal, local customers like Bret Raney though, Kehde has nothing to fear from the Internet. Even though the World Wide Web offers the kind of variety Raney craves, the Springfield, Mo., native knows real success for local business starts at home.
"I think variety is a pretty good reason not to have one company dominate a market because then there's less room for individuality and people become the same: one, huge, monolithic world where everyone dresses the same," Raney said. "And, as they say, variety is the spice of life."
— Edited by Christy Dendurent