Journey To Shopping Troy

It was a last minute decision, but a decision nonetheless. We were going to buy new furniture for our living room. While I was looking forward to the new couch, I was not looking forward to the arduous day of sitting on thousands of different couches. That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it certainly felt like a thousand different couches with almost as many rude, unresponsive sales people. We spent the time and drove past Troy, because bigger stores would have better prices. At least that is what we were told. We went to those bigger stores. We were ignored in those bigger stores. To be honest, the prices at the bigger stores were not very impressive.  Feeling dejected, we drove home but made a detour to visit downtown Troy and try one more furniture store.

I want you to picture scenes of angels singing and the heavens opening in splendor. Because that is what walking into Troy Furniture Company felt like. We were greeted by friendly staff almost immediately. You also need to understand that we had a vision of what we wanted for our living room. We tried to articulate our vision to the sales person. Seemingly miraculously, she was able to point us to two different pieces that fit our vision perfectly. And then she left us alone. Alone to sit on the 1001st couch. Alone to sit on the 1002nd couch. When we had almost made our decision, she was right there when we needed her. We shared the color and features that we needed, and she went off to calculate some costs and delivery times. The local store… the local, friendly store gave a price that was less expensive than the bigger stores, earlier delivery than the bigger stores, and all the way around a better shopping experience.

I believe that every event and encounter should be a learning experience. So what did I learn? Start local. Let me repeat that for those in the back: Start Local. When I said that we dealt with rude and unresponsive sales people, I was not kidding. There were a number of stores where my wife and I were totally ignored. Had we started with Troy Furniture Company, I would have saved an entire day of driving and only had to sit on one or two couches. The corollary to my “start local” lesson is this: shop local. And I know, I’ve seen the videos and the ads. Do yourself a favor and pay attention to them. Shop local.

But wait, maybe you don’t know what’s local. Three things to help you out. First is the Troy On The Move App. It gives you a listing of all of the businesses in and around Troy.  Second, just slow down and take a stroll through downtown. When you slow down, you’ll see the great things that Troy has to offer. Third, and finally, #ExploreTroyMo (FB) and #ExploreTroyMo (IG). Check it out! Pictures, experiences, ideas - all centered around Troy! Don’t think that you have to go south to have a great dining, shopping or entertainment experience. There are tons of options for food, entertainment, and shopping in Troy. I learned my lesson, learn from my mistakes and stay in Troy!

Martin P. Hanley | Director, Pike-Lincoln Technical Center