Is My Money Not Green?

What should your expectation be when accepting merchants’ bids to do business in your community?  Have you really taken account of whom and what is setting up shop in your neighborhood?  What value does the vendor bring? Is there a crowd that is inherent with the particular business? Do you care?

The funny thing about having no retail of immediate convenience in your neighborhood is, when you do get something, you tend to cheer the arrival of the offering. You exhale, appreciating that finally you do not have to travel an inordinate distance just to get common or desired products. Or, you smile knowing you can ease into an evening without having to travel too far to get a quality meal, one that exceeds the standard fair of burgers, fries, pizza, subs, and etcetera.

I live in a community that is experiencing such retail growth. The conundrum, however, is the quality of the retail the area is realizing.  Some may argue that retail is retail, and that there is no difference between the quality of one store’s products and another’s. Yet there seems to be anecdotal evidence to argue the contrary. In fact, if you look closely at the geographical boundaries in particular areas, you can see the metaphorical railroad tracks dissecting the haves and the have not’s. Retailers continually draw the line in the sand, purposefully creating outlets and subsidiaries that arguably suit the areas in which they have chosen to build or occupy.

Classism?  Racism? Maybe.

I live in a predominantly Black community in Maryland; one which is touted as one of the wealthiest in the nation. One glaring fact about my community, however, is there is a dearth of upscale retail. Though there is evidence that some effort is being made to improve the selection and quality of retail in the area, the efforts are sparse and seem to involve a few retailers willing to “take a chance”. 

Ostensibly, one could argue that market research is likely to have proven that families in my community lack the sustainable income to patronize upscale establishments; thus, proving fiscally imprudent for a retailer to set up business in such an area. Any sound, reasonable person would certainly understand the business decision not to engage in a given community that lacks the discretionary resources to acquire goods of above average value. In fact, however, the data shows that the county that I live in has a median household income of just fewer than ten thousand dollars less ($69,545) than a neighboring county ($79,843) that enjoys far greater access to upscale retail.

The dichotomy between the neighboring counties is not subtle. From restaurants to automobile dealerships, there are copious examples of divergent standards. Is there a correlation to what or who a business believes their image should be associated with and therefore who they should market to and where? If where I live was offered as a case study for this question, I think the answer would be a resounding yes.

For example, you can travel my community for many miles and not find one upscale restaurant. Though, in places, you can walk from fast food joint to fast food joint, sometimes only stepping over a parking barrier to get to the next artery buster. Yet when I visit neighboring counties, the diversity of retail offerings, including an eclectic array of food choices with fast food offerings existing as one genre of many, is astonishing.

Looking for a luxury car dealership? Good luck! Though there are a few (Lincoln, Cadillac and BMW) in my county, you might have to hire Lewis and Clark to try and help you navigate the area to find the likes of Acura, Infiniti, Land Rover, Mercedes, and Lexus. Yet the proliferation of luxury brands in my community is phenomenal, occupying every driveway, parking lot, and gas station as far as the eye can see.

It seems evident in a community where a house can easily exceed a half a million dollars in value that there is the existence of income to sustain upscale retail establishments. Undoubtedly, folks from my community travel great distances to procure products of higher quality and standards. Yet, despite their proclivity to purchase and enjoy these indulgences, retailers refuse to reciprocate the allegiance, thumbing their collective noses at a distinct consumer who has proven unequivocally that they have the wherewithal and desire to spend their money on some of life’s finer offerings.

SMH!


S. McGill

One of the most powerful things in the world can be obtained and used liberally by anyone who chooses to use it.  "If" can be the beginning of something great or the acquiescence to defeat. How will you use your "if"?