Bookseller on a Mission to Educate Public on Value of Local Businesses

Posted Thursday, Nov 3, 2005

For Karen Spengler, owner of I Love a Mystery bookstore, there's no real mystery as to why her town of Mission, Kansas, should rethink the idea of allowing a Borders to open in the suburb of Kansas City: It's all simple economics.

In an op-ed column published by the Kansas City Star on October 20, Spengler explained: "In 2002, Civic Economics found that of every $100 spent at an independent bookstore, $45 was returned to the local economy in the form of wages, local purchases, and profits. In contrast, only $13 of each $100 spent at Borders stayed local."

Spengler told BTW that, in mid-September, she found out that one prospective tenant being considered for a soon-to-be-built mix-use mall on the current Mission Mall site (which will be demolished) is a Borders Books & Music. And while a Borders coming to a town is hardly news, for her, it was surprising.

The reason being that, last year, when residents learned that Wal-Mart wanted to build on the Mission Mall site, their concern "that the superstore would drive local retailers out of business," and a subsequent petition drive, prompted local politicians to pass new zoning laws that deterred the superstore from building on the site. The zoning change limited a store's footprint to 50,000-square-feet, and required that 75 percent of parking be in a garage structure and that a retailer conform to Mission-style architecture.

"The Wal-Mart was going to be a 200,000-square-foot superstore," she said. The zoning change meant that, among other things, "[the Wal-Mart] would have to be four stories."

Not surprisingly, Wal-Mart wanted none of it.

Fast forward a year later and Cameron Group now owns the Mission Mall site. In September, Tom Valenti, a partner with Cameron Group, announced that his company hoped to attract Borders to its development because he felt there were "retail components" missing from Mission, Spengler noted in her article.

Considering the fact that the "proposed Borders is three-and-a-half miles from Barnes & Noble, six miles from another Borders, a mile-and-a-half from Rainy Day Books, and a third of a mile from I Love a Mystery," a bookstore is "hardly a missing component," Spengler stressed.

At present, however, there is no grassroots movement or petition drive brewing to stop a Borders from opening in Mission. "It's only me," Spengler said with a chuckle.

"The city sees Borders as different from Wal-Mart," Spengler continued. "I want Mission to avoid the trap of falling prey to the sprawl of national chain stores." She added that the mayor and city council are so pleased to have a new development, "they're not interested in opposing the developer in their choice of store. In the bigger picture, I'm worried about Mission being over-developed."

Here is Spengler's op-ed from the Kansas City Star:

Mission, Run From the Borders

Last year, when Wal-Mart wanted to build on the site of the Mission Mall, residents were concerned that the superstore would drive local retailers out of business.

Now Cameron Group, new owner of the mall, has announced that it hopes to attract Borders to its development. Tom Valenti, a partner with Cameron Group, said there are retail components that are missing from that part of the market.

Bookstores, however, are hardly a missing component. The proposed Borders is three-and-a-half miles from Barnes & Noble, six miles from another Borders, a mile and a half from Rainy Day Books, and a third of a mile from I Love A Mystery bookstore in Mission.

For I Love A Mystery, which I own, having Borders so close could be fatal. Locally and nationally, independent bookstores are an endangered species. Remember Bennett Schneider, Whistler's, The Book Shop in Brookside, Mystery Hound, Sherlock's Home and the many used bookstores that Kansas City has lost?

According to the planning group Civic Economics, communities need businesses that either add new products to the market or complement existing businesses (e.g., groups of antiques stores invite antiques shoppers; groups of specialty bookstores draw book lovers). Both options attract new consumers, benefiting existing merchants and enhancing the community.

However, when cities bring in companies that compete with existing businesses, they siphon sales from local retailers and damage the local economy.

In 2002, Civic Economics found that of every $100 spent at an independent bookstore, $45 was returned to the local economy in the form of wages, local purchases, and profits. In contrast, only $13 of each $100 spent at Borders stayed local.

Another study showed that while chains actually cost the community more in services required than they contribute in taxes, small retailers generated revenue for the community.

Cities nationwide are recognizing the value of local businesses by developing policies that favor them and refusing financial and development assistance to projects that threaten them.

When the city of Mission conducted a public planning process to establish a direction for its business district, participants wanted a living downtown where quality is valued over quantity and diversity is respected.

Mission needs to revitalize its business district. However, by focusing on redevelopment (it has three redevelopment districts), it neglects the most important question: How can Mission attract and retain the kind of unique local merchants residents want?

The "if we build it, they will come" redevelopment strategy isn't friendly to independent businesses that could make Mission a destination for shoppers from both inside and outside the area.

I Love A Mystery is the kind of retailer that Mission needs for a downtown where quality is valued and diversity is respected. The fact that the city embraces the plan for a new Borders, in spite of the threat to this established local business, indicates that city officials are missing the point when it comes to revitalization.

Mission should study how other cities and neighborhoods attract and retain the local businesses that make them unique. Fancy redevelopments with their higher rents aren't the answer

Karen Spengler is the owner of I Love A Mystery bookstore in Mission, Kansas and a member of the American Booksellers Association. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

Reproduced with permission of The Kansas City Star Copyright 2005 The Kansas City Star. All rights reserved.

 

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