One can learn a lot at Stanford University, but I took an advanced-level course about threats to independent businesses off-campus.

Corporate chains in Downtown Palo Alto have created quaint atmospheres for shoppers craving local flair and I’m grateful they offer an in-person shopping experience, yet their products aren’t unique. Fortunately there are plenty of enticing, independent restaurants.  

Finding original goods, however, is a hunt—one I’m always up for—and several merit my recommendations. For this blog, however, it’s the missing pictures that are worth a thousand words because one retailer asked not to be featured.  

In business for 40 years, I spent over an hour browsing the store’s original collection—so original I’m not even going to say what types of goods she carries in order to protect her. It’s not that she’s opposed to being discovered; it’s that face-to-face word-of-mouth has worked all along. She’s not about to expose her hard-won product offerings to folks who might read a mention on my site and then shop for her inventory through a different retailer online.

Moreover, even though commerce is increasingly based on a server, she’s most interested in service. That’s what makes staying quiet about this special place particularly heartbreaking.  

So I’ll reinforce the consequences of our current reality. Small businesses offer and display the very best through a lot of hard work. “Shopping” them only to leave and purchase through a search engine diminishes the entrepreneur and hurts the consumer. Why? Because losing brick & mortar will force us to become experts—on everything—a tedious, complicated process when life is already too busy. 

My mission is to bring you quality, but I can only do so with the mutual understanding that we not take advantage of mom & pop generosity. 

As the Palo Alto shopping slogan says: eat, shop, drink, (and most importantly), think.

I hope you enjoy a day in Palo Alto as much as I did.