One of the things I really love about Japan is how every town has its own distinctive products. In fact, Oita-ken's governor, Hiramatsu Morihiko, played on this tendency when hatching his plan for regional development, One Village, One Product.
Even without governmental cheerleading, every little town has its own sake, sembe, or o-kashi (confections, sweets)--always distinctively wrapped and on sale at the train station so you can load up on o-miyage (souvenirs) to present to friends, family, and coworkers when you return home.
Despite a strong national identity, or perhaps because of it, Japanese towns and villages continue to celebrate their regional specialties. In stark contrast, America, that great melting pot, seems determined to stamp out ethnic and regional differences. Did it start in the 1950s when the National Highway system tied us all together, and the Howard Johnson's and McDonald's sprang up ensuring that no matter where we went it would be just the same as where we came from? JQS was disappointed with his trip to Chicago last year. The area around Northeastern University had exactly the same stores as the area here around UT. "What's the point of going somewhere else, if it's just the same as here?"
Well Austin, especially South Austin, has always taken pride in it's local color. Tomorrow, local Austin retailers are promoting Austin Unchained in an attempt "to encourage Austinites to shop at locally owned stores and break the chain-store habit".
"I believe it's an incredible opportunity to pump millions into the local economy without doing much other than asking if the business is locally owned," said Steve Bercu, who heads the alliance. Bercu is also co-owner of BookPeople, a downtown bookstore. "We are supporting the businesses that add character to the city."
Spending more of that money at local stores instead of at chains means more profit stays in the community, Bercu said. And there is an intangible benefit of supporting local businesses.
"People want a unique environment in Austin. Much of the character comes from locally owned business. If people want to have those things, they have to patronize them. They can't exist in a vacuum," Bercu said. Locally owned businesses are under increasing pressure from a less-than-robust economy and the proliferation of national chain and big-box retailers.
"The economy is putting the squeeze on everybody," said Tim Hurst, who owns Movin' Easy Dancewear, with stores on West 30th Street and on RM 620 near Lakeline Mall. "There are less jobs for people. There are lower-paying jobs that people are getting, so they have less to spend. That puts pressure on them to go to the chains."
Below are some of our personal favorites. Or follow the link to a complete list of ABIA members.
- Austin Motel. So close, yet so far out.
- Austin Books and Comics. Where we stock up when we need a manga fix.
- BookPeople. The best bookstore in Austin and the only one within walking distance of our house.
- Bouldin Creek Coffee House. One of the reasons my neighborhood is always referred to as "funky".
- Breed & Co. Austin's upscale home and garden store will always be "Everett Hardware" to me.
- Dog & Duck Pub. Our favorite place for a pint (now that Waterloo Brewery has been replaced by a soul-less bar chain). And, quite unexpectedly, they make a great breakfast taco.
- Taco Xpress. The Xena of burritos.
- The Natural Gardener. I get all the best shit from them: cow, turkey, bat, and even, ahem "Dillo Dirt" (which does not come from dillos).
- Vulcan Video. Small store; huge selection of independent, foreign, offbeat, and other hard-to-find movies.
Related
Why it's unAmerican to shop at Wal-Mart. Saving a few cents is costing you a lot more than you know.
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
November 14, 2003
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Think globally. Shop locally owned. Austin's local business community tries to stimulate the economy by encouraging shoppers to spend their money among their friends and neighbors.