We keep hearing all the talk about how we should shop in Tomahawk, and I would like to ask WHY ! There are no clothing stores, shoe stores, and most of what there is, is more expensive. And try to buy something after 5:00, or on a weekend.

Another question, I came through Eagle River and Minocqua on my way home from a vacation trip on Wed. The gas prices were down to $2.60 in both towns. I get back to Tomahawk and the price is still $2.75. Sure glad I stopped in Minocqua to fill up. Checked again on Thurs. and still $2.75. Then I remembered, Fire School is this weekend and the Fall Ride is next weekend. Still a lot of tourists to rip off. Funny, I always pictured Minocqua and Eagle River as the real tourist towns. When I see our local busines's caring about the local customers perhaps I will reconsider.

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God and the Soldier we all adore,
In times of trouble and then no more
when war is over and all things righted
God is forgotten, the old soldier Slighted.

Old Scout,

Funny, have you looked at store hours? From what I understand many of them have started staying open later at least one night a week...

As far as gas prices there was just a big controversy in Appleton too. Green Bay had been 10¢ a gallon cheeper for over a week. However, when I was in Eau Claire last week gas was 10¢ higher than it was when I left Appleton. The cheapest prices were in a couple random towns along the way. Last time I was in Minocqua the prices were higher than they were in Tomahawk...

Biggest reason to shop in town? So what if it costs a few cents more. Who do you think pays for all the things that keep the town running? Unless you have no vested interest in the city and the surrounding area your life is affected by every dime spent in town! The store owners in town share the property taxes with you (don't think all of down town closing up wouldn't cost you more), support all of the charities in town, etc. Haven't seen Walmart support the can drives in Tomahawk yet. Heck, how many of the out of town stores have supported anything in Tomahawk? From what I remember local businesses have come up with the funds when there was more $$$ needed for the Fall Ride, or YesterFest, or any other event that happens in town.

Spend your dollar outside of town and it won't come back, spend it in Tomahawk and a few people might get to touch it.

<small>[ September 09, 2006, 12:22 AM: Message edited by: Kerry Tobin ]</small>

I agree with Kerry. As for myself, I dod about 95% of my shopping here at home. There is really not anything (too much) that can't be bought here. We need our community to support OUR community. As far as gas prices, they are right down there where all the surrounding towns are - within cents. I'm sure at the time Old Scout wrote that, it was not down yet. Look again since yesterday. Anyway, we need to stay loyal to each other & support our businesses - one hand washes the other. You will always have people crying "rip off" because a big event is in town - I do not see that happening as much as some people insist on believing.

I see the local gas prices are now down to $2.69. It is still $2.60 in Merrill, Minocqua, and Eagle River. Explain if you will why there is that much difference in the gas that is sold here. As far as the tax base, I live outside the city and it is just as easy to shop in Merrill or Rhinelander and save a few bucks. I do shop in town for some things but I am going to go where I can get the best price

_________________
God and the Soldier we all adore,
In times of trouble and then no more
when war is over and all things righted
God is forgotten, the old soldier Slighted.

Perhaps the gas price depends on the price they paid for it? What if the station filled their tanks with gas at a certain price & then were stuck with that inventory while a gas station in Wausau, Eagle River, etc that had a faster "turn over" of their inventory refilled at a cheaper price. Would it be good business to sell at a loss or lower your price when you got new gas??

I'd still support my neighbor with the faith that when they could, they'd drop the price. Otherwise I'd be doomed to buy in the next town & pay for the cost of the commute & the purchase after my neighbor went out of business.

<small>[ September 10, 2006, 10:33 PM: Message edited by: Jeff Boettcher ]</small>

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Jeff, that is a great theory, but it seems hard to beleive they all bought gas at the same time at the same price. Would that also apply when the price goes up.

_________________
God and the Soldier we all adore,
In times of trouble and then no more
when war is over and all things righted
God is forgotten, the old soldier Slighted.

I can tell you that the places in Appleton that turn over quickly are dropping practically daily and still aren't anywhere near what I saw gas for in SW Wisconsin and NE Iowa. Gas is down to $2.59 in Appleton but I saw it for about $2.48 in SW Wisconsin and $2.38 (or so) in Iowa.

$2.29 in Mason City, Iowa. But alas, the Chippewa Valley is always the last to lower prices, as of last night $2.65. On the weekend at Mauston we saw it go from $2.63 on Friday to $2.59 on Sunday.

Alway remember never forget, shop Tomahawk whenever possible!!!

_________________
Life is too short for drama & petty things!
So, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!

Scout,
Our family vacation was out to visit family in Western Minnesota this past August. Prices were going up. Gas was cheaper in tiny Mentor MN than they were in Duluth. This might be an example of gas bought lower & turned over slower.

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Well, it is a business after all.. and the gas stations in Tomahawk (just as every other business in the world), exist to make money.
They have an opportunity to turn more profit, and they take advantage of it.

They're certainly not in the business... of "helping their neighbor".

_________________
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese....

Perhaps not, but they're also not in the business of stickin' it to their neighbor either. That would be financial suicide when there are other options available.

_________________
What if there were no hypothetical questions?

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OK, I'm dating myself now, I do remember my parents doing a small amount of shopping for us while visiting Tomahawk back in the 60's. My beloved CPO jacket was purchased in Tomahawk. I don't believe at the Surplus store. Somewhere else on Wisconsin Avenue. My husband and I had the most awesome T-shirts (not tourist type) and bandanas we purchased on our honeymoon trip to Tomahawk in 1975, from the Federated Store.

I'll be doing a little shopping in Tomahawk next week. Groceries at Nelson's and a new Tomahawk sweatshirt (all of mine are in tatters)from the Ben Franklin. I guess I've never minded making purchases from the selections in Tomahawk.

I do think that shopping for grocery items in Tomahawk is very competive and the selection quite adequate. The only store in the Chippewa/Eau Claire area that would have a little more to offer and have lower prices is Festival Foods.

I think everyone benefits by trying to support the locals. We still do our dentistry in Tomahawk. I know for a fact that there is no one in dentistry (in the Chippewa Valley) that compares to what is offered in Tomahawk!!

<small>[ September 18, 2006, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: Deb Richardson ]</small>

_________________
Life is too short for drama & petty things!
So, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!

I lived in Tomahawk in 70-72, long before the bypass, when gasoline at the Holiday Station was 29-33 cents/gallon, when Fletche's Tap was a great place to drink and listen to music and eat the smelt, when there was still a community venison feed (highway kill processed at Hankes Supermarket), and when "downtown" offered pretty much anything you needed. What has changed??

-------------------------------------------------

Hey Dopey, you do know that "semi-formal" is a flannel shirt with NO suspenders!!

_________________
Life is too short for drama & petty things!
So, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!

I needed a four foot flourescent shop light and went to Tomahawk Ace Hardware. $10.99....Menards $5.99. Problem....$5.00 on gas to get to Wausau and back. No saving at all. But what if I buy four or five items on that trip to Wausau? $20.00 -$25.00 in savings. Funny how one item loses sales to four or five Tomahawk items. Money isn't growing on trees up here so any time I can save $20.00 I definately will. Sorry Tomahawk, be competitive, your rent isn't any higher than rent in Wausau.

Yes, Catfish that bulb is cheaper at Menard's. Did you know that many items sold at Menard's are made to Menard's specifications? Your bulb may have an identical product number to the one sold at Ace but has been made with components that are, although similar, not quite the same quality. Wal-Mart has the same practices. Buyer beware.

_________________
Life is too short for drama & petty things!
So, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!

Support your friends. If that comes at a surcharge, decide if you can live with it.

I live in Appleton. The competition between stores makes the prices low at times. This includes sporting goods. I respect a local merchant that runs an outdoor shop here. Sheels. Gander Mountain, Fleet Farm, & Dick's are all within a mile. I'll pay more for a lure or bait @ Pete's Sportsman. He KNOWS my son & me. We share fishing stories.

Life is good.

<small>[ September 20, 2006, 10:25 PM: Message edited by: Jeff Boettcher ]</small>

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

...Hopefully the "millions" of dollars that were raked in by the local merchants in the last month (with the bikers), will help the local businesses in their ability to lower their prices to the level of "normal".

Jeff, I appreciate your level of devotion.. but you are in the minority with the "emotional connection" to the places you spend money.

_________________
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese....

This is a hard topic because you have to see both sides. For those of us in town that are lucky to have good jobs we can shop in Tomahawk and accept a few extra dollars but a good share of the people in town can not. I would be willing to say that the majority of people make less than 30,000 a year and if they have children and no or very poor insurance they must save every penny.

<small>[ October 18, 2006, 02:30 AM: Message edited by: JohnS ]</small>

Facts are always helpful...

Rhinelander's household income: 30,653
Rhinelander's income per cap.: 16,605
Tomahawk's household income: 38,990
Tomahawk's income per cap.: 19,206
Wausau's household income: 38,113
Wausau's income per cap.: 20,931

That's right folks, you're considerably better off than the poor soul taking your cash in the Wal-Mart checkout while buying the cheapest garbage to can to save 25¢. Congratulations!

Here's something that has always puzzled me and a few other people I know. If the Tomahawk Leader wants to encourage local shopping, then why do they print ads from out of town businesses and accept sales flyers from Rhinelander, Merrill or Wausau stores to be stuffed in their newspapers? You say you want one thing, but yet when you are making money by running ads and distributing flyers through your paper, it seems you are promoting another.

<small>[ October 19, 2006, 10:48 AM: Message edited by: Dawn ]</small>

Well, first, I speak for myself, not as a representative of the Tomahawk Leader...

Second, my guess would be that the Leader does everything it can to promote the local community. However, our customers DO shop outside of town and therefore there is demand for information on those advertisers. Also, apply the same argument to any business. As a business owner who has to be able to PAY your local employees are you going to turn away any business?

Next question, why are the businesses in Tomahawk advertising outside of town? Do they really have that many people that come from Rhinelander to buy their stuff in Tomahawk? (And yes, pay attention, there is a lot of this going on).

Finally, just for some humor. It was my understanding some time ago that at a discussion on promoting Tomahawk businesses downtown by the downtown business association someone actually suggested advertising in an out-of-town publication... Seem ironic to anyone that an organization trying to promote local business would consider doing something that would ultimately harm another local business?

All in all, I think you'll find the Tomahawk Leader will do what ever it can to promote the local area. They'll do it for a couple of reasons, first, they simply care about their neighbors. Second, the stronger Tomahawk businesses are the better off the Tomahawk Leader (and every other business in Tomahawk) will be.

Just my two cents worth...I buy as much as I can from local stores where it is either convenient or economical to do so. The idea that we should all shop localy because of some regional loyalty is balderdash. All of you out there who drive foreign-made cars will understand what I am talking about. That having been said, local merchants in Tomahawk are a great bunch of people and provide outstanding service to their customers. I have never had a bad experience here except for my dealings with a local jewelry store which shall remain nameless. We have two really great grocery stores that can match prices with any of them, and our surplus, boating, automotive, and hardware establishments are second to none. The gas prices are a mystery to me even in town, but I am not driving somewhere else to get gas unless I am there for some other reason already.