11-1-13 If a town has a special personality it is a more inviting place to shop

My husband and I just came back from a trip to Oregon.  We went to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (which I highly recommend) and stopped off in Cannon Beach on our way home.

Of course, Ashland is renowned for its theater and the businesses in this small city support this theme.  But, I really noticed Cannon Beach, which I have visited several times before.  There are less than 2,000 people in this town, and it is certainly a tourist destination, but the community has done a great job of maintaining a look and feel for its business district that invites people to wander and shop.

I feel like we’re doing a good job building the look and feel of Langley and Coupeville so that they invite tourists and locals to visit the businesses.  Freeland is also developing more businesses that will appeal to tourists and locals, but it hasn’t created it’s “look” yet.

In my mind, so much of America has been homogenized, so that you can drive from place to place and see all of the same kind of malls and all of the same businesses.  I really appreciate visiting a place that has its own look and feel.