The increasing presence of big-box retailers in the Chatham area may strike some as a problem, but to Alisha Goins, their entry into the market has presented more of a solution.
Goins, the manager of independent Christian bookstore SincereMilk in Chatham Plaza near 87th Street and Lafayette, says shoppers in the neighborhood now have convenient options, creating a ripple effect.
“Including the shopping mall that’s east of here [Chatham Village Square], the development within the community is helping to boost businesses all around, because you have more people staying within the community to shop, as opposed to going outside,” she said. “It’s more diverse, and you don’t necessarily feel like you have to go to the suburbs or southwest of here.”
Among the big-box retailers that have decided to plant roots in Chatham in recent years are Target, Staples, Home Depot, Best Buy and Lowe’s.
The upswing in development also attracts people from neighbhorhoods further east into Chatham, Goins added.
SincereMilk, owned by Shundrawn Thomas and Cliff Goins, Alisha’s brother, has been at its current location at 112 W. 87th St. for the last three years, and it has attracted a diverse clientele of various age groups and ethnicities. “We love Chatham,” Goins said, smiling. “We’ve been glad to stay in the community. I know our customers always say they’re so glad we’re still here.”
