Time For Honesty

You know us. We've always made a point of being positive in The Wild.

Since it opened in 2005, our store has been one built on a philosophy of inclusion, tolerance, acceptance and subsequent creativity. Our goal was to open the kind of place that would contribute to our community in a way that leaves folks better off for having experienced it.

So when the economy started to nose dive this time last year, we didn't complain. When it continued a downward spiral into the fall and we started to watch the weakening of our neighborhood's small businesses, we threw our shoulders back, determined to dig our heels in.
When the New Year came and went and people started to ask how we were doing, we smiled, nodded and explained that we're way too stubborn to let all of this get the best of us.

But from the front door of The Wild, we can now see 10 vacant storefronts. That should be relatively easy for everyone to see. It should be cause for thought about where we as a community are placing our dollars. We considered e-mailing our Wild family earlier than now, reminding folks to think of their purchases as though they were votes--votes to keep their favorite places in tact. We didn't because we didn't want to seem self-righteous or preachy.

But then came word that this week alone, at least 4 more independent bookstores are closing:
Shaman Drum Bookshop, Ann Arbor, MI; 30 years old
Conkey’s Bookstore, Appleton, WI; 113 years old
Babylon Falling, San Francisco, CA; 2 years old
Hidden Room Book Shoppe, South Haven, MI

We can place blame on the big box stores, internet competition, shrinking school budgets, weak business plans and more, but the bottom line is this: fewer and fewer people are stepping up to the counter in independent stores and spending their money. People like the idea of having independent shops in their town. And in their defense, maybe they think someone else will spend enough to keep things going. Maybe they think that most business owners must be wealthy or they wouldn't be business owners in the first place. Maybe they think that because we're always positive and energetic, things must be okay.

Whatever the justification, the truth is simple and it is this: we are the only ones who can save the independents. If we commit ourselves to being deliberate with our business, this time next year we might still be able to order our favorite dish in our favorite restaurant, pick up our favorite microbrew at our favorite neighborhood pub, grab a unique piece of jewelry at our favorite boutique, enjoy a coffee at our corner coffee shop and, yes, drop by our favorite bookstore for story time or recommendations for great reads. If we continue to chase the deepest discounts and the biggest parking lots, we will be left with big boxes, mediocre products and no service.

Sean Stewart, owner of the closing Babylon Falling, said this in his blog:
"My worry for the future of bookselling is not what people are buying or even the amount they are buying, but rather how they are buying," wrote Stewart. "The idea of the bookseller in a curatorial role as a member of the community seems to be completely foreign to a culture that demands convenience above all else."

We've lost count of the independent booksellers that have gone since the beginning of the year, two of which were in our own backyard; the number is heartbreaking.

For more information on how 1 person can make a difference visit www.the350project.net
To find out how much local businesses give back to their communities visit www.indiebound.org