EDITORIAL: Farewell to The Merc

Posted 5/26/16

It’s similar to what happened in 2001, when a department store called Stage closed and left another empty storefront on Bent Street.

However, in the days following Stage’s closure, the community gathered to find a way to keep Powell’s …

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EDITORIAL: Farewell to The Merc

Posted

Community support needed on Main Street

A longtime Powell clothing store is shutting down this week, marking its final days as a downtown business.

It’s similar to what happened in 2001, when a department store called Stage closed and left another empty storefront on Bent Street.

However, in the days following Stage’s closure, the community gathered to find a way to keep Powell’s downtown vibrant.

Together, with hundreds of residents’ generous support, community members invested in the formation of The Merc.

For more than a decade, the store was successful here. In fact, Powell’s unique story of a community-owned store was heralded around the nation.

The Smithsonian Magazine spotlighted The Merc in 2002, with the description: “Threatened by megastores and a shuttered local chain, a Wyoming town revives Main Street by giving power to the people.”

CBS News came to town in 2005, saying Powell “has taken charge of its future, refusing to go the way of so many small towns in America.” Other stories followed in CNN Money and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce publication.

For nearly 15 years, Powell proved The Merc could work.

But after recent years brought increasing online competition and dismal sales, the store just couldn’t make it any longer. The Merc will close its doors for good on Saturday.

And now, Powell, we’re faced with the question: What’s next?

In 2001, the answer to a big empty storefront was to create The Merc.

What will be the community’s response in 2016?

We realize it’s often difficult to own and operate a Main Street business in Powell, but we also continue to believe it’s worth investing in this community.

Amid empty storefronts downtown — unfortunately, The Merc is not the only one — we see promising ventures taking root.

Over the past year, community members have come together to open new and unique businesses on Bent Street. Local partners formed the WYOld West Brewing Company in 2015, giving new life to one of the largest storefronts in the heart of downtown Powell. Just down the street, a group of local artisans joined together to create Heartworks: A Crafters Community, which opened this spring.

These are just two recent examples. We know Powell is home to many other hard-working independent business owners who believe in this town.

The community spirit that inspired The Merc still exists in Powell, even though the store is closing.

What will become of the old Merc location? Or other vacant buildings along Bent Street?

It’s up to local leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs who are willing to invest in downtown. But so much also depends on the people who live here.

If you want to see a healthy community and economy, remember you have a part in making it happen.

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