Why Richmond Should Not Build A Dollar Store

  

On September 18, 2023, the official Richmond City Facebook page announced the agenda for the upcoming City Council Meeting which will be held on September 21, 2023. On the agenda is the vote for a Dollar Tree Store to be constructed on the north side of Lee’s Marketplace, located on the north end of town.1 We here at Richmond’s Encyclopedia say that a Dollar Store should not be built in Richmond, and here are our reasons why.

1. Dollar Stores are Multi-million Dollar Businesses and Kill The Feel Of Small Towns.

One of the great feelings of Richmond is the small businesses that are located within its city borders. Out of all the well-known businesses in Richmond are Big J’s, Paco’s Tacos, Bair Auto, Lee’s Marketplace, Lower Foods, Casper’s Ice Cream, and Pepperidge Farm, just to name a few. Only two well-known businesses in Richmond are not Cache Valley natives: Maverik Gas and Pepperidge Farm.

However, these businesses do not take away the feeling of our small town, in fact, they enhance it. These businesses have been here for more than two or three decades, and Pepperidge Farm will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in Richmond next year. Factories are what makes small towns happy and make them different. The same case was when Sego Milk was still in operation and they helped to build the dairy community in Richmond. 

Did you know that there are no other Peperedge Farm factories in the state of Utah? We are the only city in the whole state that has one. In fact, Richmond’s Pepperidge Farm is only one of six on the west side of the Mississippi River. As for Maverik, small towns don’t feel right without a gas station for the utmost convenience.

Dollar Stores are multi-million dollar corporations and have nothing to offer to the growth and productivity of small towns. They kill the idea of small-town feelings and family-cherished businesses. When you buy from small businesses, you help to build local communities, strengthen the local economy, foster “real” connections with local owners and employees, and help make priceless memories when shopping for small businesses.2 You don’t get that with multi-million dollar corporations.

2. Taxes Are Not Brought Back Into The City or State.

When you buy a product from a small business, the taxes of your purchase stay in the community and are recycled to contribute to a positive economic structure.3 This means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify our community.4 Large, multi-million dollar businesses take those precious taxes and contribute nothing.

ILSR.org stated that “In addition to their potential impact on commercial property tax revenue, dollar stores can have a negative impact on residential property values which, in turn, affects tax revenue. A 2022 study by Clemson University, for example, found that the presence of a nearby dollar store diminished property values by 16-21 percent between 2016-2019, while the presence of a nearby grocery store increased property values by 14-15 percent.”5

3. Dollar Stores Bring Cheap Products And Cheap Manners.

Dollar Tree and Dollar General, two prominent discount retail companies, have faced scrutiny due to various issues behind the scenes. In 2021, FDA inspectors discovered 1,100 dead rodents in a state of decay at a Family Dollar distribution center in Arkansas, leading to recalls in multiple states.

OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration), a division of the Department of Labor, has expressed frustration over persistent worker safety violations at Dollar Tree and Dollar General stores. OSHA has issued numerous penalties against these companies in recent years, indicating a lack of significant changes in their behavior. For example, in April 2023, OSHA cited Dollar General for violations related to blocking exit routes and walkways, exposing employees to fire hazards, and creating situations where employees might be trapped and asphyxiated. OSHA proposed penalties of $401,000, though these penalties are often negotiated down by the companies.

OSHA regional administrator Kurt Peremyer said in a statement, “Years of OSHA inspections that have identified systemic hazards makes it clear that Dollar General values profits more than the safety of the people who work in their stores…. They are well aware of federal requirements, but they continue to ignore their legal responsibilities to protect their employees at stores throughout the nation.”6

ILSR.org states that chain dollar stores, driven by their relentless focus on cost reduction, often lack adequate security measures, making them susceptible to various crimes. Factors contributing to this vulnerability include understaffing, inadequate security equipment, and a high volume of cash transactions, making these stores attractive targets for robberies and other criminal activities. Staff members are frequently required to multitask, diverting their attention from the cash register, and cluttered store layouts with unshelved inventory can obscure visibility from the outside.

While some chains provide staff training on crime prevention techniques, such as transferring cash from the register to a safe, high turnover rates often result in the loss of these lessons. Additionally, dollar stores tend to prioritize remote monitoring through security cameras over placing security officers in stores, and they may focus more on apprehending shoplifters than preventing cash register robberies.

The lax security and minimal staffing at chain dollar stores make them vulnerable to a range of crimes beyond robberies. A 2022 study conducted by Clemson University researchers in DeKalb County, Georgia, found that dollar stores were more likely than any other store type to attract crime. They were significantly correlated with public order crimes, property crimes like vandalism, and violent crimes. In areas with multiple dollar stores, property crimes were 225 percent more likely to occur in census blocks with these stores compared to others.

A separate report highlights the prevalence of gun violence at chain dollar stores, with 156 gun-related deaths and 329 injuries reported at these stores between 2014 and 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an independent nonprofit research organization. The vulnerability of dollar stores to violent crime has been a subject of significant concern and investigation.7

4. What We Need Before A Dollar Store

Before considering the construction of a Dollar Store in Richmond, it's essential to prioritize the immediate needs and demands of the community. There are several businesses that could potentially serve the town more effectively:

• Bank: Richmond's lack of access to a bank since the closure of the Richmond Bank in 2008 is a significant concern. Access to banking services is vital for individuals and businesses alike. It's crucial to explore options for bringing banking services back to Richmond, such as a local credit union branch or a partnership with an existing financial institution.

• Hardware Store: Given Richmond's status as a farming community with residents engaged in property maintenance and improvement, a hardware store would likely fill a critical need. Local access to tools and hardware materials can make life easier for both residents and local businesses. Exploring the feasibility of opening a hardware store in Richmond is a practical and community-oriented idea.

• Clothing Store: The absence of a clothing store that offers a variety of clothing options, especially for families and churchgoers, is another pressing issue. Consideration should be given to establishing a clothing store in Richmond that caters to a broader range of clothing needs, from everyday wear to special occasions.

Addressing these essential needs first can greatly benefit the residents of Richmond and contribute to the town's growth and prosperity.

We close this document with a quotation sourced directly from the Richmond City General Plan 2023. "Preserving Richmond’s small-town character is a top priority for residents, who value the safety, quiet, and friendliness of neighborhoods and businesses in town. This is reflected in Richmond’s mission statement, 'To foster a healthy partnership between residents, businesses, and government to develop Richmond in harmony with its agricultural heritage, history, and sense of community.'"8

This is the expressed opinion of Richmond’s Encyclopedia. Richmond’s Encyclopedia is an independent organization and is not affiliated with the Richmond City Government or any Richmond City Officers.

Sources

1. (Sep 9, 2023). Richmond City Council Meeting Agenda. Richmond Utah. Facebook.com, Richmond, Utah Official Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=644693874479276&set=pcb.644693914479272
2. Segal, Chelsea. 10 Big Reasons To Shop Local Small Businesses. Cox BLUE. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://www.coxblue.com/10-big-reasons-to-shop-at-small-local-businesses/#:~:text=Tax%20Dollars%20Stay%20Local%20and%20Reenter%20the%20Community&text=Every%20time%20you%20purchase%20a,to%20a%20positive%20economic%20structure
3. Segal, Chelsea. 10 Big Reasons To Shop Local Small Businesses. Cox BLUE. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://www.coxblue.com/10-big-reasons-to-shop-at-small-local-businesses/#:~:text=Tax%20Dollars%20Stay%20Local%20and%20Reenter%20the%20Community&text=Every%20time%20you%20purchase%20a,to%20a%20positive%20economic%20structure
4. What Happens When You Shop Local. (2023, September 19). Independent We Stand. https://www.independentwestand.org/what-happens-when-you-shop-local/#:~:text=means%20less%20infrastructure%2C%20less%20maintenance%2C%20and%20more%20money%20available%20to%20beautify%20your%20community
5. Smith, Kennedy (2023, February 28). 17 Problems: How Dollar Store Chains Hurt Communities. Institute for Local Self-reliance (ILSR). https://ilsr.org/17-problems/#_edn17:~:text=In%20addition%20to,14-15%20percent
6. Alana Semuels (2023, April 21). The Big Problem With Dollar Stores. TIME. https://time.com/6273646/dollar-stores-osha-labor/
7. Smith, Kennedy (2023, February 28). 17 Problems: How Dollar Store Chains Hurt Communities. Institute for Local Self-reliance (ILSR). https://ilsr.org/17-problems/#_edn17:~:text=10.%20Chain%20dollar%20stores%E2%80%99%20lax%20security%20and%20thin%20staffing%20make%20them%20easy%20targets%20for%20crime%20and%20violence.
8. Richmond City, Utah, 2023, Richmond 2023 General Plan, pg iv, (PDF) file:///C:/Users/bryce/OneDrive/Pictures/richmondpdf_finaldraft_05-01-2023_optimized.pdf