Tag Archives: dollar stores

Dollar Stores Are Gutting Small Town Retailers

Drive through many small towns across America these days and you are almost sure to see a dollar store of one brand or other (or multiple stores) at the edge of town along the main drag or on the bypass. … Continue reading

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, business, cities, commerce, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, product design, shopping, sprawl, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Lost emporiums of childhood joy

When I was growing up, a favorite place to shop was the five-and-dime (or variety) stores like Woolworth’s (Lancaster, PA, 1879-1997), G.C. Murphy (McKeesport, PA, 1906-1985), S.S. Kresge (Detroit, 1867-1966, now Kmart), Ben Franklin (Boston, 1887-present), S.H. Kress (Nanticoke, PA, 1896-1981), and McCrory’s … Continue reading

Posted in advertising, architecture, cities, culture, diversity, economic development, geography, history, land use, planning, spatial design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments