Business

Small business is alive and well in Albania. And by 'small', I mean small.

Food shopping for me, usually involves a trip to the fruit and vegetable market. Imagine a crowd leaving the stadium after a college football game, add stands with fruits and vegetables, and that is basically what this market is like. Loud, crowded, and lots of produce. The interesting thing for me though is the number of vendors. The market has easily over 100 different people selling produce. Some stands specialize in cucumbers and other olives. All are very small, individual and family businesses.

After my last trip to the market, I stopped to buy some meat at a different store. While telling the girl behind the counter that I would like some chicken and beef, I noticed that there were some eggs for sale on the counter to my left. I inquired about buying some eggs and the girl told me that wasn't her part of the store, and I would have to pay for the eggs separately. This was fine by me, but you have to understand that this store is maybe 15 feet by 15 feet, so for two separate business to coexist there seemed a little wierd to me.

But then I started thinking about it. About how much I really enjoy small shops. I enjoy that I can get to know the guy that runs the food shop by my house. That I know that he will be there every day, and that getting to know him isn't a wasted effort. Small, family businesses create community here. Something that I think America has been losing while being swallowed up by big-box retail stores. I understand the value of economies of scale and there are certainly positives that come with Walmarts and Costcos, like low prices and convenience.

The more I think about it, though, the more I begin to think how quickly I would trade the convenience of buying my groceries and oil filters in the same store for a little more community and the existence of true neighborhood commerce in America.

I don't claim to have the answer, but I fear that with the status corporations have achieved in America that era may well be past us as a nation. I wonder if Americans would be willing to pay slightly higher prices and trim a little convenience, if it meant more community. I would hope so, but I don't really know. Everything in America seems to be about time, efficiency, and price. And corporations have resoundingly met those needs, but at what cost?