After 125 years of being a cornerstone of the small business community in Abingdon, Greer Jewelers is closing its doors. In this case, it's not because of economic hard times. As Susie Buckner explained, "We're just tired. I want to do something else. I want a life." It's such a simple concept but explains so much of what is happening to small businesses everywhere. Running a successful "independent" shop of any kind means living that business; and that demand inevitably chips away your time to enjoy anything else in life. Co-owners Buckner and Carson Jackson have been living the business for 38 years. Who can blame them for wanting out? But their departure comes with a price for the bricks & mortar economy and the community spirit that distinguishes the truly "mom and pop" shop from the corporate big box model or even local or regional franchises. Greer Jewelers is one-of-a-kind. It has its own niche culture--the combination of quality product and service that cannot be replicated by an online or by AI on or offline. The sad reality is that no one wants to continue the shop as Greer Jewelers. Sure, the real estate might be sold with a different business filling the space, but not necessarily one that would support the local business community and bring that one-of-a-kind experience to its customers. So, what of the next generation? Are they unwilling or unable to step in the shoes of a bricks & mortar small business? Both. Consider the declining population of workers ages 20-64 , which provides the majority of talent in any business. Also, the youngest members of that workforce, the Millenials and Gen Z workers are products of the digital age, with a cultural mindset that is vastly different from previous generations. That mindset is accustomed to working from home, working on a computer or phone, working limited hours, or not working at all. Sorry to dish out blunt stereotypes, but I meet these people everyday. The other stereotype (also painfully true) is that most of these "workers" have education or training that in no way qualify them to do what is required in a business that is not just a retail operation, but a skilled trade. Jewelry and watch repair, furniture building and repair, any kind of construction and repair that involves mechanical dexterity and precision face an almost extinct talent pool. Mark Goodman (Goodman Jewelers), the other jewelry store on Abingdon's Main Street, confirmed that younger workers, even jewelers "don't know how to make these repairs. " My husband and I even had to drive an hour to find a jewelry store that had a watchmaker on site that could install the specific battery needed in my husband's watch.
While you could argue that watch building and repair is a trade that we could potentially live without, consider the larger spectrum of skills and services that literally drive the economy: road and building construction, automotive repair, HVAC systems, welding, plumbing, waste management, even commercial cleaning and landscaping services are endangered species. Add truck driving to that list and you have an economic crisis that is transformative because jobs in these service areas repeatedly go unfilled. The next generation of workers simply lacks the motivation or skill to do any of them.
I am counting the hours before we all wake up in our town and Main Street is full of mini Walmarts with only Star Trek-like "replicator" devices for ordering anything and everything we need instantly---well, until they break down and there is no skilled trade person who can repair them.