BLACK FRIDAY:Closing of Fly Fishing The World In Richmond VA

?Black Friday? is a recent popular term to describe the customer shopping frenzy that happens the day after Thanksgiving. Thousands upon thousands of aggressive shoppers invade department stores and other retail establishments to begin their Christmas shopping. Yesterday, which was Black Friday, I ventured out with my family to see the new movie, Bobby and my favorite fly fishing store in Richmond, Virginia.
As I approached my fly fishing shop, Fly Fishing the World in Richmond, Virginia to say hello to my dear friends at the shop, I was totally surprised to see that my favorite shop was closing and going out of business. I walked into the store to see my dear friends and they were not there. A gentleman who had a personality like a cook stove was sitting behind the desk. I addressed questions to the gentleman about the store?s closing. He made me feel very uncomfortable when I sought information about what had happened. He obviously must have been the owner of the store building.
I looked through the store. It was such an unusual sight. No rods on the wall to be sold, no fly fishing books, very few fly tying materials was the order of the room. I suddenly felt an incredible void within my being. This was the store where my renewed interest in fly fishing had taken place. Great friends like Harry Robertson, Alex Penland and Robert Thomas were always there to answer any questions with which this fly fishing youngster availed them. They were kind, gracious and always helpful. They were the owners and helpers who I will always be indebted to for reacquainting and renewing my bliss for fly fishing. As I perused the almost vacant store for any remaining items that I might possibly be interested in, I felt suddenly very sad. I always looked forward to visiting my wife?s sister in Richmond and in turn getting to talk to my dear friends at Fly Fishing the World. That chapter in my life has now suddenly been removed from my memory book without my permission. I felt a certain tremendous rage toward the owner of the building who probably raised the rent to an exorbitant rate.
Black Friday is a wonderful time for crazy Christmas shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. But for me, Black Friday is truly a very ?black? day of grief for me. My favorite store to chat and renew those friendships that renewed my joy in fly fishing is no longer there. No computer can replace the human relationship and personal interaction. When one like me desires to purchase new fly fishing gear, I want to place it my hands. I want to be able to ask the salesman if they have had any experience with the products. I want a salesman or friend to help me if something broke that I purchased at their store. No computer purchase can do that. If the local storefront is being replaced by computer technology and therefore replacing good friendly service help and friendship in the world of fly fishing, we might as well go build our cinder block homes to protect us from Iraqi or Communist invaders and live like a hermit for the rest of our lives. Money and computers cannot replace the loss of human interaction and human relationship.
Truly, yesterday was a Black Friday. I would like to say thanks to Harry Robertson and Alex Penland that it is our own true loss as fly fishing consumers that your store is gone. Thank you, gentleman for your gracious contribution to the lives of individuals like me who value the local storefront and the ability to speak to a human being instead of just ordering a product through the internet so that one might get a better price on a certain product. Thank you, Robert Thomas for your positive willingness to assist one like me in purchasing the best in equipment. I will deeply miss your friendship and kindness. No computer or raised rent price can replace the value of human interaction. I personally think that the day is truly getting ?blacker? the longer we keep thinking the selfish ways we are thinking. Thanks for precious memories. I will grieve for a long time.

Steven Medford
Southport, NC

wcu,,, time will not heal; but it will help. I/(we all) understand your lose. You are now the one to pass it along to others. It has become your turn.

We had a similar loss in August. I still start to turn into the mini mall where Chris had his shop.
I will really feel it in Spring when I have to drive an hour just to get supplies.

I'm so sorry to hear about this. I would hate to lose our shop here in Columbus, Ohio. It has got to be a very tough business to be in these days, as is most retail. Such is the way of things, change is difficult, and the older I get, the less I like it.
Eric

Something to think about before that next order goes to Cabala's. It still amazes me that the two guys who run our local fly shop will courteously assist a new fly fisherman in rigging up an outfit that has been purchased elsewhere by mail order. And the local shops just keep closing.

WCU, sorry to hear about your loss, I'm afraid that yours won't be the last post on this topic 8T :cry:

fly shops are part of our local color, our culture. WHen one closes the culture takes a big hit. I rarely buy anything fishing items online anymore, in fact, it has been a year or so. I stopped into a local shop last Friday, Stutzman's in Lebanon, Oregon, and bought a pack of hooks. I asked Gene about being open the day after Thanksgiving. He told me that he had made a few sales, but mostly he was there because he loved his shop and he loved fly fishing, that his shop is home to him. Is Cabela's or Bass Pro home to anyone?
Paul

Despite our best efforts to keep things the way we?ve always known them, the only real constant is change. I thoroughly enjoy going to out local shops in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and touching/fondling those things that are special to me in our hobby and sport. But, the sad reality is that WE have demanded more for less in the things we purchase, and the way to get it ?our way? is by offshore manufacturing and mail order houses where the overhead and labor is lowest. I?m not saying I agree with this concept, but it?s the way it is.

Eric?s store in Columbus has a very innovative owner (I?m pretty sure we?re talking about Brian) whom I?ve known for several years, and he?s found a way to have the best of both worlds. A few years ago he started an online business with his website that he heavily promotes to clubs in Ohio and surrounding states, as well as at fly fishing shows he attends. I spoke to him at a show I produce each year in Cleveland, and he told me that he is not only shipping product around the USA, but his international orders continue to increase each year just because he shows up on Google when someone is searching for things that he happens to sell. Columbus, Ohio is not necessarily a fly fishing Mecca, but this owner has found a way to keep his storefront operation viable by utilizing his website as an e-commerce site to branch out and keep the overall business healthy.

This is not ?outside-of-the-box? thinking any longer, but is the way businesses must change if they expect to compete with the Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops. Yes, it costs money to get up and running, but if you want to have a business you MUST invest in it and you MUST stay current with the technology that will insure your future and your success. My favorite small shop in town is now expanding their website to begin selling product online in order to survive. They realize they can no longer exist by simply waiting for people to walk through the door, so they are utilizing their salesman that never sleeps, never eats, and never takes time off?the Internet! If it were not for the Internet, we would not be having this exchange of ideas.

Nobody likes to see his or her favorite shop go under, but to a degree it is preventable by doing business differently today than you did yesterday. I own my own small business and must recreate myself every day to stay ahead of my competitors. If you know a shop in trouble, share this idea with them. It may just keep them in business.

Joe

Imagine my suprise when I went to the closest fly shop and found their shelves almost bare. They aren't going out of business, but are turning into a mail/internet order shop. I truly enjoyed "shopping" there, and being able to touch and become acquainted with a rod,reel, or line before making a purchase is important and enjoyable to me.
My shopping there now consists of filling out an order form and taking it to the shop to be filled. It's faster and much more efficient, but is not my favorite way to do business....especially for fishing gear.
I used to make frequent purchases there, and often found items that weren't listed in their catalog, you know, one of a kind feathers or even new stuff that hadn't been entered in the catalogs yet.
No more of that....I'm saddened.

Rodger