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Downtown merchants fear chains' effects
By Whitney Fox
Special to the Kansan
The invasion of national chain stores into downtown Lawrence doesn't worry Mike Combest, co-owner of Terraplane Bicycles, 916 Massachusetts St.
He does what he does — bicycles — and he doesn't worry about other issues.
"I deal with bikes because that's all I know," Combest said.
And national chains pose no direct threat to Terraplane for that very reason. "They come in and they take away some business, but they don't have a terminal effect," he said.
But national competitors who threaten to take away much of the revenue that keeps local shops running do scare business owners like John Hastie, owner of Terra Nova Books, 920 Massachusetts St.
The thought of chain stores like Borders Book Shop or Barnes & Noble moving to Lawrence is a concern, Hastie said. The number of customers who would move their business would affect Terra Nova.
"To compete, we would have to intensify our advertising." Hastie said.
David Longhurst, president of Downtown Lawrence Inc., a group of businesses that works to enhance and protect the atmosphere of downtown Lawrence, had some advice for shopkeepers concerned about losing revenue to national stores.
"Stores should capitalize on their personality," Longhurst said. "People like to buy from the owner of the store."
Longhurst suggested that it was the downtown personality that kept customers shopping there.
"Places like the Plaza in Kansas City and Oak Park Mall and all malls have a personality," Longhurst said. "It is the exceptional personalities of the Plaza and downtown Lawrence that make people want to shop there. People don't come here to get the best price; they come here for the atmosphere."
Longhurst said that the ability of national stores to buy large quantities of an item and offer that item at a lower price made it difficult for smaller stores to compete.
Corey Keizer (right), retail associate at Terraplane Bicycles, 916 Massachusetts St., shows customer Amanda Nance one of the mountain bicycles the store offers.
"There is nothing stores can do to compete with quantity and price of items," Longhurst said. "They must focus on their one-on-one service."
Some managers of national chain stores that have moved downtown try to make their stores blend.
Longhurst wants large stores that move into downtown to blend with the architecture and adopt some of the area's personality.
"If national retailers can break away from the same formula they use in nondistinct shopping areas, it is beneficial to them as well as the stores downtown," Longhurst said.
"We designed and decorated our store so that it would fit in with the rest of downtown," said Marilyn Dobski, franchise owner of McDonald's, 911 Massachusetts St.
Dobski not only wants to blend with downtown but also wants McDonald's to help downtown. Dobski added tables at the front of the store at which police could do paperwork while still protecting downtown.
Edmée Rodriguez /
KANSAN
Although some people may like the atmosphere of downtown Lawrence, the growing population will have an effect on the area. With Lawrence's population at
"We wanted to encourage more police presence downtown," Dobski said.
almost 80,000, more chain stores will move to downtown.
"There is already a large clientele, and the growing population has everything to do with stores coming to Lawrence," said Dennis Domer, acting chairman of the department of urban design and planning at the University of Kansas.
Downtown Lawrence Inc. has no control concerning which stores move into downtown, but members do voice their opinions at city council meetings. They have been successful in stalling the addition of Borders Book Shop, but they were not able to stop the Gap or McDonald's.
"There will always be national chains that come in, screw things up and then
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Community Outreach
The Hill November 5,1996