Editor:
In response to the front page article of the June 8 edition of this paper; relating to the concerns of local businesses that on-line shopping was affecting their bottom-line: I believe that generally, most people in a small community would prefer to shop locally whenever possible.
Personally, I am even willing to spend a bit more than I normally would in order to support local business. But just because you're local, does not mean that I have a responsibility to support your business regardless of the level of service you provide or the prices you charge. When you’re rude to me and don’t take into consideration that I can and will take my business elsewhere, then you deserve to lose my business. When you charge me two and three times what I would pay for the same product elsewhere, then you deserve to lose my business.
And if you try to sell me a poorly made product or don't support or stand behind what you sell, then you deserve to lose my business. It's that simple. Be competitive, charge a fair price if you can, and provide excellent customer service (especially if you're charging me a bit more for your product), and I honestly believe that the local community will support you right back.
Kim Demers
Burns Lake, BC