Internet shopping hurts our local business | LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Published 10:20 am Sunday, July 26, 2015

To the editor:

The closing of Paper Products (which is another since the hardware store of the loss of useful business on Winslow Way) begs an observation. According to what was reported, Paper Products is moving due to competition from purchases via the internet.

Over a year ago, I was in a bookstore where a young man was discussing buying a book with the owner of the store. Since the book was not available in the store, he remarked, “Never mind. I’ll order it on the internet.”

Although I did not know him, I remarked to him that buying via the internet is detrimental to local businesses. That caused him to think, at least. Naturally, we all sometimes buy through catalogs, but the internet is another kind of threat to “Main Street.” Think about it. Anti-local.

HANK HAYS

Bainbridge Island