One of everything? Really?
Odds are, every home has one. What my mother referred to as “the kitchen drawer”, where the objects without a proper shelf came to live. You need a nail, or some glue, or a hammer? Go look there, first. It might take some time to actually find what you wanted, but the rule of our house was that success lay there, first.
Now, let’s expand the idea to a retail level. Where do you go to find just about anything? In past days, the Eaton’s catalogue was a first point of reference (and it came in printed form, suitable for framing or “repurposing” to the little shed out back, once past date). My children know this as Amazon. However, there’s a waiting period imposed with this model.
Let’s look, locally. I now live “in the country”, and we have a general store nearby. If they don’t have it, I probably don’t need it, or else I’m due for a trip to town. I’m still new to the area, and I’m still in discovery mode. You know, where asking the owner where to find the jars of apple sauce, or broom handles, or a Coronation clamp is part of the game. Conversation starters.
Because that, friends, is the real benefit of shopping locally. Five minutes down the road, there’ll always be somebody on site, ready to talk about something. I consider it as a replacement for the barber shop of old.
I remain puzzled as to how the inventory is chosen. Maybe general store owners have a general wholesaler where they go for conversation, but I’m skeptical. After all, I’ve seen box trucks unloading at their side door.; that points to mass orders, unlike my “go and see if they have one of whatever”.
