…with the same name. That name is Loveland. I’ve lived in Loveland 34 of my 42 years. I was born and raised here, moved away in the mid ‘80’s and came back in the mid ‘90’s. Loveland has changed a great deal, and that is not what this blog is about. This blog is about the difference between doing business with a home-owned store and a chain operated store.

            I did most of my Christmas shopping this weekend. I did it in Loveland. I shopped downtown and out east in the new mega-retail environment. The two areas of Loveland are about as different as one can imagine. It’s honestly hard to believe that they are the same city.

            I’ll start downtown. It was Saturday, a warm and really nice day. I had no trouble at all finding parking in the lot at 5th and Lincoln. Walked up and bought a magazine at City News, and decided I was hungry for a burger. I had not yet tried the new sports grill in the depot building, so I went there. Excellent burger, fast and friendly service, all around a very pleasant experience. I then walked and shopped up and down 4th street. I stopped in the kitchen store, very upscale and fancy. They have the high end cookware and appliances some may want, they were friendly, and the atmosphere was quite nice. Just the same at Lux next-door. Lot’s of good merchandise, and a real nice atmosphere. I bought several gift cards at restaurants and the Rialto Theater and was genuinely treated warmly and pleasantly all over. It was a relaxing, fun and all around great shopping experience.

            On Sunday I ventured out east. Started in a big store with a red circle logo.  Lots of people, lots of cashiers, way too many screaming babies, but that didn’t even really bother me. I bought well over $150.00 and was treated just like cattle at the checkout. Oh well, that’s a big store, what was I expecting. It only got worse from there. I went in several outlet stores. The teenagers manning the stores could care less if I was there or not, were horrible in customer service and could hardly have been more annoying checking us out. I left those stores with a general, why did I give them my money, feeling. Stopped in a restaurant with a gift shop and almost went postal, due to their incredibly annoying noise and some of the slowest and worst service I’ve ever seen.

            Then I went further east across I-25. Gheez, and I thought the outlets were bad. Rude drivers, no parking, hard to get around just to start. Went in a bookstore out there. Worst service I’ve ever seen. One cashier for at least 15 people in line, and that cashier made no attempt to call for help or speed up. I was going to go in to many more stores, but I could not take it any more.

            The corporate owned, chain stores did nothing more than annoy the living hell out of me. They all could care less if I was there or not. They could care less that I was a paying customer and acted as if I was an annoyance to them. The local owned, downtown stores were just the opposite. Even though I was browsing and not buying I got a feeling that I was the most important person in their business, and their total focus. I was very pleased with downtown and it made me feel so good about living and shopping in Loveland. I was annoyed and disgusted with east Loveland and I was embarrassed to even say that these stores are a part of Loveland. Downtown has warmth, character and a feeling of community. East Loveland has nothing but corporate crap and a feeling of anywhere USA.

            I certainly hope we here at Orchards Ace Hardware never make you feel like I felt with East Loveland. If we do, please tell us, because we do genuinely care about our customers and really aim for a nice and comfortable shopping experience.

             I know this is just one man’s opinion, and that it kind of sounds like a grouchy old man. Hope you can see through that and get the idea that supporting your local- home owned store is an important part of being part of a community.

 

-Clark