I had to deliver one of our wholesale customers at North Meadow Farm in Manchester, VT. I needed to stop to pick up a few bananas, wine, and half & half afterward. I decided to stop at the shopping plaza where the new T.J. Maxx store opened; I need some athletic shorts for the gym. Side note…I don’t wear shorts except in the production kitchen.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Manchester, VT is a very charming town that had its hay day back in the late 80s when high-end outlet stores opened. Manchester was “the” place to go for tourists as well as famous people. I waited on many of them while I worked at the Polo Ralph Lauren Store.
Manchester, Vt, was one of the first high-end outlet towns in the country. When I worked at Polo, you couldn’t find a parking place if you worked in the afternoon. If you opened, there was a line at the door waiting for the store to open. The stores made millions of dollars, and the town was bustling. Events were planned around back-to-school and Black Friday shoppers. Everyone made money, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels.
As more and more outlets opened outside of all major cities, people didn’t have to travel to small towns to shop anymore. The outlet stores weren’t a destination anymore, and the sales numbers dropped dramatically. Store after store closed their doors because they couldn’t afford the high rent prices. Of course, this hurts all the other businesses in town as well.
The stores that remain are designer stores with prices that are simply out of reach for people who live here full time. Tourists and second homeowners are what keeps them open. However, the town has reinvented itself and is now a popular wedding destination for many city people.
Shopping in our area is extremely limited. We moved here to get away from the New York and New Jersey area; the last thing we want to do is “Jersey up Vermont.” However, having a store that real working people can afford would be nice.
Choices for me to buy clothing are Good Will, Walmart, and Label Shopper in Bennington. I shop very occasionally at the Gap in Manchester if I am desperate. I feel bad for younger people; in Manchester, most stores’ clothing is…well frumpy or too dressy.
When I pulled into the Price Chopper Supermarket shopping plaza, I couldn’t believe how crowded the parking lot was. I had to go around, trolling for a spot. I snuck around to the side of the building where I used to park back in the busy days. My secret spot was open. Ha!
Now I know T.J. Maxx isn’t a big deal if you have one where you live, but this is a game-changer for the working class and teens. There was a line to get in; only 100 people are allowed in the stores at once; a friendly employee was keeping track, letting people in when others went out.
I only had to wait a few minutes because an army of people came out. It was really great to see a store thrive again. It was all local people shopping. Women smiling behind their masks from ear to ear with their shopping carts filled with candles, throw blankets, food items, and clothing. Young adults all had items in their hands to purchase. For them, they could afford to buy items or a few things for under $25.00.
I was looking for Adidas shorts for the gym. I am a fucking cheapskate and won’t spend a lot of money on something that I will only wear for working out. I found the $35 shorts I saw last week in the mall for $12.99. Yes! I also got a cute black tank top for 9 bucks.
I wondered what the line at the cash wrap was going to be like; I was hoping it wasn’t going to be bad. They had all the registers open, so I waiting in line for less than 5 minutes. I left with a smile on my face. There was a long ass line waiting as I went into the supermarket.
As I walked to my vehicle, I looked at all the parking lot license plates; most of them were all Vermont cars. I could tell the few practical, dirty cars with NY plates belonged to employees from across the border since NY is only a few miles away. As I drove out of town, I looked at the outlet stores’ parking lots; all the new, shiny clean cars were from NY, NJ, CT, and MA.
It seems like the shopping I experienced today was a win-win situation; visitors shop at places they don’t have in their area; while we can shop in a store that is not special to them. I can’t wait to try on my shorts and tank…both black, of course. What a shocker. LOL.
Julz- thanks for sharing this new. I grew up in Manchester, my parent’s shop, Purdy’s Shoes was one of those that was driven out of business by the outlets. When the first outlet, Dunham’s, came to Manchester in the late 1970’s. my dad, John Hawkins predicted exactly what has happened. It is good that TJ Maxx has come to town to give people some affordable choices without having to drive 30 minutes to Rutland or Bennington.