I don’t do Black Friday madness, either

It’s Black Friday. Yawn.

I won’t be lining up at Walmart. I won’t be standing in line to buy a big screen TV. Or even the new laptop I so desperately need. (A story for another day, but after 3.5 years, my trusty Surface Pro is a-failing. I believe there’s some little hardware failure thing going on, such that it can’t reliably access or maintain an Internet connection. I will be at the Microsoft Store first thing on Monday, when everyone else is shopped out, to get my replacement. With luck, I’ll have enough connectively over the weekend to do a bit of research on my options. Sure, I can use my phone – which, by the way, is also a nag heading for the glue factory – but I’d prefer to use an actual computer with more screen real estate.)

On Friday, if I’m walking by, I may stick my head into a card store and see if Thanksgiving cards are on sale. I prefer my holiday cards half-price, thank you. Other than that, I’m pretty meh on Black Friday.

Anyway, most of my shopping is done. Just a few things left, but especially with an early Thanksgiving, I’ve got plenty of time remaining until panic sets in.

Dunham’s, a family owned and run department store, in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania a country town with an economy driven by diary farming and fracking, doesn’t do Black Friday madness, either.

I have to say it was something of a delight to read about Dunham’s:

At a time of rapid innovation, when giant retailers are competing on speed and convenience with features like two-day shipping and curbside pickup, many department stores symbolize obsolescence and decline. Yet Dunham’s, a store with a limited assortment of furniture, housewares and clothing, often at higher prices, has managed to compete in its own way with Amazon and the Walmart supercenter, which is only 12 miles away and sells just about everything.

The Dunham family, now in its fourth generation as retailers, has created a niche with shoppers who feel left behind by e-commerce, or choose to opt out of it.

“My customer, the little old lady, is being forgotten,” Ann Dunham Rawson said. (Source: NY Times)

Unlike me, Dunham’s little old ladies don’t have computers, tablets, or smartphones. Like me, however, I’m guessing that Dunham’s little old lady grew up shopping at department stores.

The leading department store in Worcester was Denholm’s. There was also a Filene’s, but Filene’s was just clothing, shoes and cosmetics. (And the fabulous, but not quite as fabulous as Boston’s, Filene’s basement.) There were a couple of other department stores – Barnard’s and R.H. White’s – but Denholm’s was the biggy. Clothing, shoes, cosmetics, furniture, toys, gifts, housewares, bedding, appliances…And the best decorations at Christmas. When we went down city (Worcester for downtown), we shopped at Denholm’s.

Worcester was and is more than 50 times larger than Wellsboro, PA, so I’m guessing that Denholm’s carried a lot more inventory with a lot more variety than Dunham’s. Still, a department store is a department store. And while I rarely shop one – other than for an occasional foray to Macy’s – I still sort of miss them.

Dunham’s definitely caters to its base.

When large retailers cut back on an older women’s clothing line, known for polyester pants with elastic waistbands and shortened cuffs, Dunham’s expanded its offerings.

Wish they’d named names here. Having had a little old lady for a mother, I’m guessing that we’re talking Alfred Dunner here.

“My customer, the little old lady, is being forgotten,” said Nancy Dunham’s daughter Ann Dunham Rawson. “Other companies don’t think that type clothing is much fun.”

Well, that clothing really isn’t much fun. But it’s practical – easier when you’ve got arthritis to just pull up your poly pants than fumble with a button and a zipper. Plus those little old ladies are dying out, and the future cadre of little old ladies in the wings – me and my cronies – aren’t interested in short-legged pull-on polyester pants. Plus we’re online shoppers.

Dunham’s has no immediate plans for offering online shopping.

So you have to wonder how much longer the store will last.

They do have a few things going for them. They’re the only place for miles around where you can buy Starbuck’s coffee. And the people who shop there love the way they’re treated. Which is apparently quite well.

“I hope people want to keep interacting with each other in brick and mortar stores,” Nancy Dunham said. “It’s one way we learn from one another. It frightens me to think of a world without it.”

I still do plenty of shopping in brick and mortar stores. But I do plenty more online. I do like in person shopping. I like interacting with someone rather than something. But the world without it doesn’t frighten me. Which is not to say I don’t/won’t mourn the passing of department stores.

Good luck to Dunham’s.

Sigh.