Dear Editor:
I am writing today in response to local ads for citizens to “shop local.”
The ads start out by telling listeners to shop local because they’ll save time and money and add to the local economy through sales taxes and businesses being able to hand out more money from profits.
Although I do feel many of these statements are right on target, the question still remains: Why do many Eastern Shore citizens pick Norfolk or Salisbury, Md., to complete much of their shopping?
I, like many of my neighbors, shop in Salisbury. A better selection of food, cleaner stores, and an expanded line of products and services to choose from are the main reasons. Many of the fast-food chains are burger joints that are greasy and high in calories. Salisbury has Jersey Mike’s and Jimmy Johns, as well as many of the names we’re familiar with here on the Shore. Also, many of the people buy in bulk in discount stores like Sam’s Club and Aldi supermarkets. The quality of the product is a bit higher and sold at a price people are willing to pay, backed up with service.
Many of the establishments here are just outright dirty. They are in dire need of a deep cleaning, painting, and a customer service overhaul of many employees who work in these establishments.
May I suggest that if many of the businesses here on the Shore want a bigger piece of the pie, they check out where people are shopping and come up with a marketing game plan in order to get where they want to be. In today’s business environment, you consistently need to be better than the guy up the street, or you’ll get left behind.
Douglas Stewart,
Schooner Bay
