It's happening, and the news is out. Pier 1 Closing 6 stores in San Diego, Sears shutters 33 stores, Kmart announces new store closings across the nation, Papyrus, Adventure 16, Canterbury Gardens, Charlotte Russe file chapter 13 and the news keeps pouring in. And not even mentioning the Rite Aid has been closed on Washington since I came here. Retail, not just national retailer's, are under siege. The Amazon effect is spreading, and it's as potent as any virus known.

 

I've written and talked about this before, but now the data is coming in, and it verifies a huge fundamental shift has quickly turned the retail world upside down. Shop local campaigns have, in large part, done little to stem the tsunami of online shopping hitting our communities. Convenience, yes, cheaper, maybe. But, here's the thing the economic impact locally is crushing the traditional brick and mortar model. The halo economics created with local retail business is lost with online shopping. Want that pothole filled? Good luck. Quicker response by local police, sorry. City services that are already fiscally challenged as the local government takes on more pension debt coupled with out-of-control State spending is not going to be able to keep up.

 

It's reality, and it's here. We're not defenseless though. We can choose to change, to not just roll over and be swept off the sidewalks of Escondido. And this is where the Chamber comes in. We have resources and services combined with knowledge and experience to help guide and combat some of the forces our community is up against.

 

Contact us our follow us on our social media, check out website or give us a call and let us explain to you the value your Chamber membership brings. Join others. Let's become a force and use all of our resources together to combat the challenges and provide the services and goods a healthy and thriving  Escondido deserves.