Where are our local Woodland Hills businesses going?

2 weeks ago I drove by one of my favorite little shopping areas, Topanga & Dumetz, to see a "Sale, store closing!" sign on Jean Shack. I've lived in this area south of the Boulevard since 1994 and that store has been around a while. My two teenage daughters were regular shoppers there and I must say I've bought a few things as well.

So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see a For Rent sign yesterday when I drove by, and yet I was. And across the street, the Make-up Junkie and Italian deli vacated recently too.  These local stores offer so much more diversity and uniqueness than the typical chain store in the mall. Have we all forgotten how important it is to keep the neighborhood alive by dropping in and making an effort to support our local merchants?

I went by to see the new Americana shopping center in Glendale/Burbank last week and yes, it was pretty on the eyes, but I left within a short 30 minute walk around when there was nothing new to offer once you looked beyond the architecture.  The person I was with offered an explanation "these chains have it all dialed in - the exact dollars needed to spend on marketing for maximum return, number of sq ft needed without losing $, a regional or national support system, etc and local businesses don't have the expertise to sustain their operation during periods of uncertainty - they've simply not spent the necessary amount of time or been around long enough to tweak their business plans to run like a well-oiled machine."

That may be true but it's painful to see because I LIKE diversity and ingenuity in our neighborhoods so I will be doing my part to stop by places like California Pet Center on Ventura to buy my pet supplies, doing some back-to-school shopping at Soto on Topanga and telling all my kick boxing friends to add Yoga to their exercise regime at Inner Power Yoga at the Gelson's shopping Center!!