PLATFORM : Shopping Habits

JOAN E. MALM, owner of Jem Stationers on Main Street in Garden Grove, comments on the growing effort of cities to keep residents shopping locally to raise sales tax revenue. In Garden Grove, for example, retailers display signs in their windows and offer a drawing for prizes. Malm told The Times:

It’s amazing how many shoppers comment that they understand and they’re glad that they’re buying in Garden Grove. I think they realize, at least some of them, the significance of putting their sales tax dollars to work in their own community.

I think those who are aware of what they’re really doing would probably shop in their community whenever possible, regardless of any prizes. Of course, that isn’t always possible.

In many communities, even though they may be lacking a big shopping center or shopping mall, there are often many small stores and smaller businesses around. I think we need to get away from the mind-set of thinking “mall” as opposed to thinking where would be a good place to go that’s close by. But we get a mind-set on the mall, as though it’s the only place to buy anything, and I think that’s hurt our inner cities a lot.