Christian Retailers under stress 2009

GLY Religious store has conducted it’s own limited market study for the small local mom &  pop store including Christian Retail. Many of the small store owners we have interviewed are considering closing, reducing staff, or minimizing product selection. We have noticed that our customers buy only what they need.  It is a target buy, and not so much impulse buying. Impulse buying is mostly gone. Customers come in for communion, confirmation, baptism, wedding or funeral items. But the nice bracelet displayed on the counter, is disregarded at the present time.

Also the increase in local and government taxes has made small business extremely difficult. Sales tax, property tax, city tax, insurance costs, income tax, mortgage payments and even in Nassau county an energy tax and now a MTA Tax. Government is taking to much from small business and we are the businesses who have created most of the local jobs. Increases in product costs and taxes forced us to let 15 people go.  It is time for government to protect local small businesses. Decrease taxes, payroll taxes, property taxes, delete the MTA tax and energy tax in Nassau county. Give small business some breathing room. Why does big business get all the brakes. Elect a government that protect local businesses. Main street could be ghost street soon if no action is taken to protect small business. I estimate that this recession will continue for atleast an other year.

Help was there for AIG and the big financial institutions. What about your own mommy and daddy shop?  Without small business protection, employement numbers will keep going up. People have less money to spend. Have no money to put in the bank, bank cash capital shrinks and have to let people go. Investment monies not available people can not buy houses, cars or property. In other words ”Wall street is out of business”.

A Healthy ecomomy starts with small business, which results in profitable big business. Not the other way around. I think that many polititians forgot this principle of economic success