My Dear!

I guess I did kind of single them out, mentioning them by name. The only problem I have with them is that they don't look any different than any other chain. But they have the ownership of a COOP. And I have just never understood how their members the OWNERS benefited from their expansion. They are a big organization but who is in control there? I am not saying they are evil, but there is just such potential there for mismanagement. Who is really running the show, and how do they serve their members, except for the dividend check? Their prices don't seem any better than anywhere else. They just seem to have outgrown their organizational model.

It just seems to me that a CO-OP should just look less CORPORATE. Maybe they aren't, I have just never looked into it. And perhaps they have a good personell system and employee retention. I just hate it when I go to a big place, and meet an employee who is fantastic, only to find out later that they are no longer there . You got served by a different guy every time. And yes a commission structure is worrisome, the person has to get the sale, or his coworker might make the sale when you stop back. How does that work? Do they ask if you are working with anyone?

I just like the notion that when you have lots of little players, the consumer has more choice, and we don't get the one size fits all mega-corporate landscape, catering to the largest market segment. And the big guys seem to need to deal in volume. This cuts the consumers' choices. With the little guys in business, you can have specialist niche businesses. But if the little guys don't fill our needs, I guess we have to go to the big guys. I just hate to see the little small shops crowded out. My boyfreind always goes to Starbucks, but I get shivers going in there with him. They are just so HUGE now. And while I think my theory is an excellent general notion, life only consists of specific situatiions.

I haven't been to REI for YEARS, my budget is now old wool sweaters from Goodwill. But they were the only place that I could find my favorite snack bar. Can't remember the name of the company, but they called their product pemmican, and it wasn't overly sweet Now I just buy candy bars from, you guessed it! the supermarket chains when they are 4 for 1.00. My favorite little guy is my own bottom line But I need to watch my other bottom

When I get commuting by bike more, I'll be able to shop around, not the one-stop shopping cuz of bus schedules.