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July 30, 2010 at 4:59 AM
Local businesses compete for town's affection
The future of downtown State College has some local business owners concerned about the viability and staying power of "mom-and-pop" shops.
Some say more chain stores have set up shop in State College in recent years. And they worry it will be at the expense of locally owned venues.
Chain Store Invasion
Abercrombie. Chili's. Starbucks. Panera Bread.
When students first come to Penn State, they might see some names familiar from their hometown mall or shopping center.
And State College locals say they are seeing the same trend.
State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham said she has seen more chain stores come to the downtown area in recent years.
Some local business owners agree that chain stores are working their way into the permanent downtown structure -- but that's because local patrons are not giving enough support to local business.
Smaller businesses are having trouble competing with chain brands, particularly in terms of advertising, local business owner Doug Kifolo said. Kifolo, owner of Happy Valley Freez, 234 E. College Ave, said locals are not giving the "mom and pop" shops enough attention.
As Webster's Bookstore Café, 128 S. Allen St., faces closing, Kifolo said he has seen an outpouring of support for the local business. But he wants to know where the support for local businesses is at other times.
"All these people who are writing letters to the editor saying we need to support local businesses, I want to know why they don't come in [to my store]," he said.
Florist Michelle Neeley of Queen Anne's Lace, 1341 South Atherton Street, agreed downtown stores may be having difficulty competing with national chains. She said she has a special niche as a florist that usually wins more business than grocery store flower shops.
Other local stores say they have found their niche as well and therefore expect to continue their success in State College.
Nittany Quill owner Joy Mernin said because her 111 S. Fraser St. store does custom stationary and calligraphy -- which no brand name store can replicate -- she has been in business for 26 years.
Mernin said during her tenure as a business owner she's seen many smaller stores come and go.
But while she would like to see more independent and "funky" stores downtown, she sees nothing wrong with the emerging chain brands. There are no clear cut-and-dry answers for how the chains impact the business of smaller stores, and vice-versa.
In the end, whether independent stores can survive in State College depends on whether the public supports them or not, Mernin said.
"As a small independent store you have to really specialize and figure out what your niche store that a chain store cannot provide," she said.
Not Just Mom and Pop Shops
But not everyone is worried that State College will lose its flavor.
Downtown State College Improvement District Director Jody Alessandrine said he does not see a trend of chains overtaking stand-alone stores in downtown State College
The downtown is thriving, in part because of its "eclectic mix" of stores, he said.
"To have an eclectic mix of all types of locally owned stores as well as having some national owned retail chains -- I don't know what more you can ask for," he said.
Most small business owners agree that the brand name stores are needed.
Some say they aren't threatened by nationally recognized names.
Joe Germano, manager of Sarina's II, 220 W. College Ave, said he doesn't need to feel competitive with chain stores -- and neither should other stores.
"Once you make it past the first two years in State College, you're good," he said.
Goreham said the recent influx in chain stores might be indicative of the rough economy. She agrees with Alessandrine that it is important to have a mix of stores.
"The mix has to be found that will allow local business people to have businesses downtown and in the area as well as many of the national products and services we have all come to love," she said.
She said it is important to support local stores -- the money tends to stay in the area.
Some chain store owners said they have positive relationships with local shops. Jennifer Rosania, owner of Philly Soft Pretzels, 124 S. Allen St., said local stores add a "wonderful flavor" to the community. And she stressed that chains are not a bad thing.
"They usually have a little more stability and more name recognition and brand recognition," Rosania said.
Looking Ahead
While Webster's finalizes a new location and the economy works its way back to solid ground, downtown State College will continue to evolve.
Plans to start development of the condominium/entertainment complex Fraser Centre are tentatively set to begin before the end of the year.
Currently Susquehanna Real Estate -- the company in charge of the project -- is in talks with businesses that may occupy the street-front store spaces, project manager Kim Lentz said.
Lentz said the stores could "very well" be a mix of stand-alone and brand name stores. The real estate company has spoken to about four national chains about renting the space, but also to local business people. Lentz said the smaller store spaces on Calder and Fraser may be a good size for special interest stores or small businesses.
Goreham said there's an effort to establish "incubators" to help local business weather through tough economic climates.
Having too many brand stores downtown is certainly an issue, Goreham said. But it's important to maintain a balance of all types of stores, she said.
"We really love a lot of the national stores we have here," Goreham said.
1887 to 1996 PennState University Libraries digital archive of the Free Lance, the State Collegian, the Penn State Collegian & The Daily Collegian
