Investigating the Local Shop
It may seem like a silly way to spend an afternoon, but recently I was interested in discovering what was going on “behind the scenes” at my local corner store. It’s not a chain, just an independent convenience store, but there is always a steady flow of customers as there is nothing else like it in our neighborhood. I wanted to investigate what goes into running a shop like this, not to try and find anything specifically, but just to see what it’s like. I learned from the shop owner, John, that he acquired a license bond from his state department of finance in order to give his customers a bit more trust in his shop. It ensures that he will abide by all state laws and rules. I also learned that he has run the shop for 30 years, and hopes that no big chain corporations will set up anywhere near here in the future. His prices are low, but there is always room for competition. His only employees are his two sons, who have been working part-time in the shop since they were 13 years old. He knocked on wood as he told me he had never once had his store robbed or vandalized, and enjoys seeing his regular customers daily for coffee, newspapers, or, unfortunately, a pack of cigarettes.
