- Dec 14, 2009
- 1,960
- 5,349
The neighborhood Wal-Mart I used to shop at closed its doors a few months ago. Business was great, parking lot was always full. Why did they close? Because they decided to move down the same street 2 miles. For 2 miles away there is a Target, K-Mart, and a Garden Ridge store. People are not driving miles down the street, choosing these other stores closer in their neighborhood.
So they build a larger Wal-Mart. and predictably they draw the traffic in from Target, K-Mart, and Garden Ridge that they weren't drawing before. K-mart and Target are strong enough to survive. They have loyal clientele that will shop there regardless of what Wal-Mart does. Garden Ridge however has been hit hardest. The parking lot is a ghost town. Hardly anyone shopping there now. And worse of all? Wal-mart built it's new store right across the parking lot from Garden Ridge.
In our society this is ok. Nothing wrong with it as long as no laws were broken. Yet depending on your personal choice of shopping experience your perspective of who this benefits the most, or the other stores should just step up to the plate now that Wal-mart has moved right next door is likely to be fueled by your preference of shopping experience, no matter how it affects the other stores. But Wal-Mart telling Garden Ridge they should be happy they moved next door is kind of laughable to me.
Back to expansion...
If CEA expands more power to them. ***Mandatory Disclaimer - I am not now nor ever have been a member of the Teal Army*** While there are many things I have had my disagreements with them over the years, I pretty much admire CSP business acumen, regardless to whether I agree with it. So I know this is not a "Hey wouldn't this be fun" type idea. A lot must have gone into it to bring it to pass. Wherever it ends up being.
My advice would be to gyms in the area where CEA may be expanding is - talk to directly to the owners of gyms in/near the cities where they have expanded before. To see how the expansion directly affected their programs. Especially if those gyms have a Junior 4/5 , Youth 3/4 or 5 team, or up and coming young in age Senior 5. While correlation is not always causation IMO there has not been an expansion anywhere that there was not a significant Level 5 presence with Danville being the anomaly.
Look at the quality of those programs in the years following a CEA expansion to that market. has there been a noticeable drop in routine quality/strength? Ask gyms in Raleigh about how the expansion affected them. Ask gyms in Greenville how the expansion affected them. Ask gyms in Sanford. Ask gyms in Richmond and Hampton Roads. Charlotte is still new but ask them how the expansion has affected them. Not just the bigger named gyms but the other gyms in the area too.
So they build a larger Wal-Mart. and predictably they draw the traffic in from Target, K-Mart, and Garden Ridge that they weren't drawing before. K-mart and Target are strong enough to survive. They have loyal clientele that will shop there regardless of what Wal-Mart does. Garden Ridge however has been hit hardest. The parking lot is a ghost town. Hardly anyone shopping there now. And worse of all? Wal-mart built it's new store right across the parking lot from Garden Ridge.
In our society this is ok. Nothing wrong with it as long as no laws were broken. Yet depending on your personal choice of shopping experience your perspective of who this benefits the most, or the other stores should just step up to the plate now that Wal-mart has moved right next door is likely to be fueled by your preference of shopping experience, no matter how it affects the other stores. But Wal-Mart telling Garden Ridge they should be happy they moved next door is kind of laughable to me.
Back to expansion...
If CEA expands more power to them. ***Mandatory Disclaimer - I am not now nor ever have been a member of the Teal Army*** While there are many things I have had my disagreements with them over the years, I pretty much admire CSP business acumen, regardless to whether I agree with it. So I know this is not a "Hey wouldn't this be fun" type idea. A lot must have gone into it to bring it to pass. Wherever it ends up being.
My advice would be to gyms in the area where CEA may be expanding is - talk to directly to the owners of gyms in/near the cities where they have expanded before. To see how the expansion directly affected their programs. Especially if those gyms have a Junior 4/5 , Youth 3/4 or 5 team, or up and coming young in age Senior 5. While correlation is not always causation IMO there has not been an expansion anywhere that there was not a significant Level 5 presence with Danville being the anomaly.
Look at the quality of those programs in the years following a CEA expansion to that market. has there been a noticeable drop in routine quality/strength? Ask gyms in Raleigh about how the expansion affected them. Ask gyms in Greenville how the expansion affected them. Ask gyms in Sanford. Ask gyms in Richmond and Hampton Roads. Charlotte is still new but ask them how the expansion has affected them. Not just the bigger named gyms but the other gyms in the area too.