At his Franklinnow.com blog (the blogs there now have comments enabled) Kevin Fischer expresses his confidence in the viability of two Sendik's grocery stores in Franklin.
While I join Kevin in rooting for Sendik's to succeed at both locations (I predict huge success at 51st and Rawson), I think it's a mistake to underestimate the effect of TARGET on Sendik's AND the outlying non-restaurant businesses in the "Shoppes" complex (Drexel and Hwy. 100).
This is a fact: Sendik's and Target will be competing to a great extent. While Target may not stock meat or produce, they will carry the other staples that bring shoppers into a store like Sendik's, the sorts of high-margin incidentals that keep a store like Sendik's afloat.
While they may be a charitable company, the Target business model makes no concession for integration into a community of retailers. They are set up for one-stop shopping.
For instance, Target will have a Starbucks right in their store. You don't do that when you are supporting a larger commercial area or attempting to energize a public space (i.e. a locally owned coffee shop in one of the outlying buildings).
This is part of the reason people look askance at developer Mark Carstensen's attempt to have his cake and eat it, too; he claims to be building a "high end commercial center," but he has made Target the ultimate arbiter of the site plan (which is very poor as a result). This is lucrative for Carstensen, but the high end commercial center concept is effectively sacrificed in service to "The Deal."
Target is absolutely fine in its place, but it does not "play well with others" in close quarters; in an area as key to Franklin's future vitality as the City Civic Center district, we should have found a way to make SENDIK'S the main anchor - - or, Target should have been limited to a LEASE arrangement so the site plan could be locally determined.
If you were to sit down with the Balestraris, I wager that in an unguarded moment they would reveal more than a little apprehension at being put into this situation. They are sitting next to a shark waiting to gobble them up, and they have NO recourse if Target becomes predatory; developer Mark Carstensen - - with whom they made their arrangements - - now refers to "their part of the development" when referring to Target.
Also, no one has yet factored in the WOODMAN'S being built in Oak Creek. I used to shop at Woodman's near Madison about 15 years ago. It is a truly awe-inspiring experience - - - different from anything you're used to - - - that will bring over a huge number of mainstream Franklin shoppers who have little or no interest in a "high-end" meat department but love the idea of having 46 varieties of peanut butter from which to choose.
It would be great for Franklin if both Sendik's stores can thrive. However, I fear that poor planning at Shoppes at Wyndham Village has lowered that location's chances significantly.
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