EDITOR:
Living in Walker is a great experience. My husband and I are city transplants. After culture shock wears off and you learn to enjoy life and nature, Walker is great.
We both owned small businesses in Santa Barbara when they came through and re-did lower State Street. I started a group called "Downtown Demolition Zone Merchants Associations" to try to help keep activities downtown while everything was torn up. Well, Nordstroms won out. The only businesses that were able to stay were chain operations and those with the big bucks.
I have my special places that I shop at in Gardnerville. Hair, groceries, oil changes, pizza, Chinese and tires. Everything else goes to Carson or the other end to Walmart. For me it is close to a 60-mile trip one way.
When I shopped at Smith's and started getting coupons on my receipts, I got excited. I thought maybe there would be something I could take advantage of in the area.
I went into Jiffy Lube and had my car serviced, they didn't accept the coupon. It states on the coupon for North Reno, so why put it on a coupon for Gardnerville? If you have a business in Gardnerville, promote businesses in Gardnerville, not Reno.
Bottom line is, most people use stores they like and will always use stores they like.
And when it comes to big savings they will go to the stores that will give them the big savings, drive or not.
If you have what the consumer wants, at a fair price and give good customer service, you have a good business. Walmart coming to Gardnerville shouldn't scare any of the businesses in town, they are so easy to beat in customer service and quality.
Denise Wilson
Coleville
