New Wal-Mart in Ogden .. but at what cost?
There are 2 comments for this page [ View ]Sunday, March 9, 2008
By SCOTT SCHWEBKE
Standard-Examiner staff
sschwebke@standard.net
OGDEN -- Frozen alligator and fishing boats are no longer a staple at Misc Pickins Mercantile, situated in a rough-and-tumble section of west Ogden.
Still, the 12,000-square-foot store, housed in a nondescript pale yellow metal building at 610 Exchange Road, has a small but loyal following.
Each day customers eagerly push shopping carts across a cracked gray concrete floor to snatch up frozen beef kidneys, canned chili, automotive supplies and other discounted items that line crowded shelves.
Old-fashioned service with a smile and rock-bottom prices draw shoppers to Misc Pickins, said Lesley George, a tall, thoughtful woman who is the store's owner.
"Our only strategy is to make friends with all of our customers so that they will want to come here instead of fighting the crowds (at larger stores)," she said.
But its been slim pickins at Misc Pickins, with profits plummeting 70 percent since 2003 because of dwindling product suppliers and virtually no advertising budget.
On top of that, a new threat looms that has struck fear into the hearts of similar mom-and-pop operations across the country.
Big plans
Mega retailer Wal-Mart plans to open a 176,000-square-foot superstore in late 2009 or early 2010, complete with a full grocery, at the corner of 20th Street and Wall Avenue, about a quarter-mile from Misc Pickins.
Construction is expected to begin later this summer, following demolition of several buildings within the 17-acre project site.
George doesn't consider Wal-Mart the enemy and occasionally shops at its stores throughout the area.
Still, she can't help but worry that a downtown Wal-Mart will ruin her business.
"I've stewed about this," George said matter-of-factly. "This may be a struggle for us. I believe in free enterprise. But I wish they would free enterprise away from us."
Karianne Fallow, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said local businesses actually thrive when the company opens a new store.
"Because we are a popular place to shop, customer traffic will remain in the area and has the potential to benefit local businesses," she said. "Generally, competition makes us all stronger."
Wal-Mart decided to build in downtown Ogden because it's a growing, untapped market, Fallow said. "It gives us a chance to serve our customers locally."
No-frills shopping
George said keeping Misc Pickins open is important to her cost-conscious customers, the store's eight employees and her family.
Her 21-year-old daughter, Megan, and 32-year-old son, Cody, work at the store. Even her 3-year-old grandson, Tucker, occasionally lends a hand with mopping duties.
"It's an awesome business," George said. "It's something we can do together because it's family owned."
Carmen Salayanda, an 18-year-old high school student who works part time at Misc Pickins, is concerned about what will happen to the store once Wal-Mart opens. "It could hurt all of the little businesses like us," she said while stocking a shelf.
Stella Perea, a regular customer at Misc Pickins, will continue to shop at the store but also plans to frequent Wal-Mart.
She enjoys Misc Pickins' no-frills atmosphere and frequently pops in to pick up odds and ends, because it's close to her job, at the 2nd District Court in downtown Ogden, and her home in Taylor.
With no gourmet deli, bakery or express checkout lanes, Misc Pickins is decidedly low-tech.
The store sits next to a ramshackle red barn and Bloom Recycling, where paper and metal products are squished into neat bales. The parking lot is pitted with crater-like potholes.
But on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, when the store runs specials, there are just as many Cadillac Escalades as junkers parked outside.
Pitchforks, lettuce
Misc Pickins never would have gotten off the ground without the ingenuity of George's late husband, Larry.
It all began in 1975, when he opened a cardboard-recycling facility adjacent to the store's current location.
The Georges began supplementing their income by picking up and returning to manufacturers merchandise damaged in freight train derailments that spanned an area from Green River, Wyo., to Wells, Nev.
Gradually, the Georges began purchasing some of the slightly damaged merchandise and reselling it to locals.
In 1990, the Georges switched gears and began working with local tow truck operators to retrieve and buy items that had spilled onto area roads following tractor-trailer accidents.
George recalled once she and her husband were summoned to a spot near Echo Junction in Weber Canyon, where a produce truck had flipped over. The Georges used pitchforks to fish unsalvageable heads of lettuce from a creek. They didn't recover any items for resale and functioned as a cleanup crew for a towing company.
The Georges often sold their crash-site booty from the back of a semi on weekends in Roy. Customers never knew what to expect.
Sometimes there were fruits and vegetables, other times frozen foods.
George said her husband went to great lengths to drum up business. One of his most creative schemes involved purchasing a freight car to transport honey from crash sites to customers in Idaho. "He was never afraid to try anything," she said.
The Georges put down permanent roots in 1997 with the opening of Misc Pickins.
Eclectic display
In its heyday, the store dealt with a wide network of wholesalers on the West Coast and in the Midwest, enabling it to offer an eclectic variety of items, including frozen alligator, small fishing boats, furniture and mattresses.
Today among the items the store sells are canned goods, produce, milk, frozen meats, snacks and soda; but the shelves aren't as well-stocked as larger grocery stores.
"If customers come in with a grocery list they are going to be disappointed, because they won't be able to fill it," George said. "But they will be able to find something for dinner and save a buck or two."
Like the fictional protagonist Forrest Gump, who waxed philosophical in comparing life's uncertainty to a box of chocolates, George never knows what she's going to get when she places an order. Distributors simply send whatever is available at the time.
That reality hit home a few weeks ago when an entire food order delivered to Misc Pickins consisted of 140 cases of chili.
While the store is able to sell chili and other items for about 40 percent less than regular grocers, she fears Wal-Mart with its vast resources will be able to offer many name brand products at cheaper prices.
"Nobody can compete with Wal-Mart," she said. "If they want to undercut me, they will be able to under cut me."
Super Saver future
That concern is shared by Tom Melonas, owner of the Super Saver Store, 1710 Wall Ave., another discount grocer just a few blocks away from the proposed Wal-Mart.
"We have four aisles, and they have 92 aisles," said Melonas, a jolly man who wears glasses and a goatee. "It's like David versus Goliath."
Jodie Kobel, a cashier at Super Saver, is opposed to Wal-Mart building in Ogden.
"It sucks," she said. "They've got too much money as it is."
Alyn Paradis, of Ogden, said he will continue to shop at Super Saver after Wal-Mart opens.
"I don't let big chains keep me from shopping at little stores," he said.
Finding the positive
But Melonas hopes to turn the Wal-Mart project from a lemon to lemonade while squeezing out every advantage possible. For example, he expects Wal-Mart to significantly increase business traffic downtown, which could translate into more customers for his store.
Super Saver can stay successful by remaining true to its mission of constantly finding bargains for customers, Melonas said.
"We are going to have to work harder, period," he said.
Comments
I Grew Up in Ogden, And still deeply care for the well being of You folks there. God will be with You folks, There are some extreme times coming, and Your locals will need You.
Text 
i have shopped at misc pickins in the past it is a store that has a good idea but i have since stopped shopping there because it no longer just sells damaged items, it has become a stockpile of food that has gone several months to even years past the expirations dates. i got tired of buying food that was bad.