June 20, 2019
A look back: ‘Small towns, big boxes’ — Maine’s introduction to mass retailing
A trend story from the March 20, 2000, issue of Mainebiz cast a wary eye on the proliferation of big-box retailers. “The arrival of ‘power retailers’ like Walmart and Target has irrevocably changed the aesthetic and economic landscape of Maine retailing. Does the next decade promise more of the same?”
Indeed it has meant more of the same, but we could debate the outcome not to mention the “aesthetic.” Wal-Mart Stores Inc./Sam’s Club is Maine’s third-largest employer (behind MaineHealth and Hannaford), with more than 6,500 employees at 20 stores from Sanford to Houlton. At the same time, there’s been a shakeout of specialty big-box retailers, such as Best Buy and Toys R Us. And small retailers seem to be having a resurgence on many Main Streets in Maine — an indication consumers want local options and discounts.
Fun Fact: Mainebiz issues from 2000 had what seems today a large number of ads for luxury cars and even opportunities to charter a plane. The economy was strong, best known for the dot-com boom, though it’s not clear how much Maine benefited from that. Infinity, Mercedes, Land Rover, BMW and Volvo dealers all advertised prominently.
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