Time will tell

Boy, we’re not used to this.

It is unusual for any small town to suddenly have two new competing businesses to simultaneously announce plans to open for business. Although dates have yet to be set and not all details have been determined, Gallatin soon will have two pharmacies offering services for the first time in more than three decades.

Competition is good. It occurs when more than one person sees opportunity with optimism. It’s flattering and uplifting for our community to be viewed in such a way. But it’s natural, however, for first reactions to jump to worries about sustainability. Profit (sustainability) is what business is all about.

Obviously, the abrupt end to the Shopko store in Gallatin set things in motion. Opening a pharmacy involves much more than just earning the right to put “PharmD” next to your name. What drives business decisions is achieving authorizations to dispense pharmaceuticals while optimizing assistance and insurance programs. The application process requires paperwork and even site inspections, so predicting precise dates when doors will open isn’t as easy as finding the key for a front door lock.

Convenience is a big factor for consumer decisions. Both new pharmacies embrace strategies. One hopes to tap into the high traffic of Gallatin’s only grocery store; the other will remodel a stand-alone facility designed, constructed, and located for convenience.

So, yes, the circumstances could hardly be more interesting for folks calling Gallatin home. A local pharmacy is essential for the lifeblood of any small town. We certainly wish the best for all concerned. In business ventures, time will tell.

Not overlooked in conversation is the future of the Shopko building, once the largest retail store in Gallatin becomes vacant. This is another circumstance where opportunity could be viewed with optimism. The building, certainly in comparison to other vacancies in town, is desirable and available for immediate use. But Shopko bankruptcy — even if liquidated for pennies on the dollar — makes predictions on the building murky.

These are different times. In the old days local economic development discussions specifically excluded retail business. Formal organizations were specifically financed for traditional job creation efforts and projects. Chasing retail business meant chasing headaches.

For instance, when the John Deere dealership in Gallatin folded, at least one interested party put out feelers asking what Gallatin could do to help him slide into business here. This approach is all too familiar, regardless of whether the one asking is actually a viable business prospect. The real problem, however, was justifying why you would offer financing or other perks to lure someone new to town to compete against businesses already here and supporting this community. So, lines were drawn to essentially exclude retail in economic development efforts.

That was during times when competition between retailers kept the business community healthy. Times have changed. Retail wars aren’t so much family business competing against family business, but franchise against franchise.

The City of Gallatin will see a dip in sales tax revenue if nothing replaces the Shopko void. The most direct consequence could impact street paving. The city also loses valuable utility income, easily within the “Top 10” of the city’s electricity users. Gallatin does not have the luxury of significant available funds. Most every anticipated tax and utility dollar are already appropriated for use.  Fewer dollars to work with will be noticed.

Shopko’s bankruptcy involving over 250 stores nationwide doesn’t necessarily reflect local realities. Questionable management decisions – undoubtedly made in corporate offices hundreds of miles away — were in evidence for years here. Shopko corporate executives seldom listened to the advice from local store managers.

Do you remember the Shopko billboard along I-35, a sign that could be read only by the southbound lane and located well past the exit as if shoppers would continue to Cameron and then return to Gallatin’s store? Or the picket walkers drumming up business along MO-13 but within eyesight of the store? Or sales flyers distributed in ways that defied logic?

It is sheer coincidence that the Shopko closure occurs as our new city administrator, Lance Rains, begins his duties. It would be entirely wrong to put expectations and responsibilities on the efforts of just one man even when economic development is specifically a part of the job description. But it is entirely appropriate, especially for the City of Gallatin, to aggressively approach and seek ways to keep the Shopko building in use in the most viable way, including retail business interests.

We’re fortunate to have experienced leadership at the helm of our city. Yes, there are practical limits to what can be done. That gluten-free bakery that was supposedly relocating from Kansas to Gallatin comes to mind. Disappointments, however, should not diminish persistent efforts.

This is a time when we need to pull together, support our city aldermen and encourage our new city administrator in addressing this abrupt, new circumstance. These leaders know business and are competent in making decisions that benefit our community.

Will the Shopko building stand dark and hollow like too many other storefronts in Gallatin? Will we helplessly watch the bricks and mortar slowly waste away or will optimism embrace opportunity? Time will tell.