Your editorial (Sunday, Dec. 8: “Shop local, fly local, attend local”), though having real logic, does remind me of the whip-makers and harness-makers who tried to convince people they could never rely on those new-fangled automobiles like you can the horse and wagons.
People will always move on to what works best for them. After all, the malls took customers from the downtown shopping centers in cities. Then the big box stores took customers from the malls. Now it is on-line shopping that takes customers nationwide and will continue from here on in because for many items you can’t beat the hassle-free shopping and wide selection right at your fingertips instead of running all over town.
The reality is that there’s always going to be a need for many items like groceries and hardware or such that people need instant access to, but there’s so much that people can purchase online and wait a few days for because they aren’t in a hurry.
Where your editorial really does work is clothing stores. If you want them to stay open in Grand Forks, then those stores need customers, or you’ll need to travel.
