Unless something untoward happens, it looks like Sisters will have a Bi-Mart store in a few months.
The company filed an application for a minor modification on the former Ray’s site last week (see this week’s Nugget page 1 or www.nuggetnews.com).
It’s going to be interesting to see what the reaction is. Bi-Mart is a chain and some folks really don’t like the idea of chain stores in Sisters. Of course, Ray’s is a chain, too, and nobody seems to mind having a supermarket...
I think that Bi-Mart is the best thing that could happen at ThreeWind Shopping Center. It’s a Northwest company, employee-owned and a contributor to its communities. It carries goods that we’d otherwise be going to Bend for.
It’ll compete with some of our existing stores, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, though the thought of going up against a big player surely makes some folks in town nervous. Competition usually makes everyone better.
The worst thing that could happen out there is blight — a dead or dying shopping center right along Highway 20 wouldn’t do anybody a lick of good.
A solid store with an updated and improved Western facade will look good, stimulate business for Radio Shack and Coyote Creek and fill a need in Sisters. Sounds good to me.
Jim Cornelius, Editor
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
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The new Ray's was going to have a pharmacy, but from what I hear, they opted out since they didn't want to put the pharmacy at Sister's Drug and Gift out of business. The plan is for this Bi-Mart to have a pharmacy. If that happens, it will be interesting to see what the competition does for both.
ReplyDeleteHaving Bi-Mart in Sisters will actually help me support the locals a lot better. I find that when forced to travel to Bend or Redmond for items not carried in Sisters, that I end up spending my hard earned dollars in that town. I will utilize my gas and time and 'just get everything done' as long as I had to go to Bend or Redmond anyway. I think a lot of people will look at it in the same way. Bi-Mart never comes into a town to 'put the locals out of business'. I feel they will contribute to the community and being 'employee owned' it will infact help to boost the moral here
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sue. If you go to all the time and trouble (especially in winter) to drive to Bend because you need a product that neither Ray's nor Sister's Drug carry, you bet I'm going to get all my shopping / errands done in Bend. With Bi-Mart in town, it will allow us to shop locally and get good deals on items we would not otherwise have access to in Sisters. I have always felt that competition is a good thing (just look at how many banks, insurance companies and similar services there are in our little town - I don't think they are suffering too much). I am thankful that finally we have a choice of where we want to shop. Our local merchants have been good to the community and supported many activities and events and I appreciate what they have done for Sisters, and I look forward to Bi-Mart being one of them.
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