From the northwest to the world, to... nowhere?

What is it with all the mergers and assimilation? How can we support the local economy when local businesses keep disappearing? Sometimes I just wanna give up and transact my affairs based purely on economics. In other words, find the best deal. Period. I often do just that.

I feel rather like an island, when it comes to this subject, even though it's been said that 'no man is one' (island). When I try to broach the subject with my peers, they seem dis-interested, or even opposed to it. I guess it doesn't really matter to them. Even the economics book that I'm attempting to read says that business comes and goes and it's all part of the cycle and we should just let it happen. I agree, to a point. But doesn't it seem like it's getting out of hand? Does every corporation have to become a world-wide sorta thing?

I've been with T-Mobile for a number of years. I originally signed on with VoiceStream (Bellevue, WA.) Which became T-Mobile. Which became part of Deutsche Telekom. A European company. Local business affiliation? I guess not. The good news is that I never tried Amp'd Mobile. It really seemed like THE phone company for awhile. I was tempted to switch carriers at that time. With my luck, if I'd switched to Amp'd, I would have made another bad choice when Amp'd went under. See, I would have wanted to ally myself with one of the large, dependable, nationwide wireless companies. A wireless company like Qwest. Er, I mean, Verizon...

Which reminds me of when I worked for, and banked with, First Interstate Bank. I mean Wells Fargo. I mean Norwest. Okay... Wells Fargo it is. What if I'd gotten fed up with all those mergers during my banking "career" and switched back to a smaller, more local (or at least more northwest) bank. Such as Bank of America, which at the time was still Seattle's SeaFirst Bank, in name only. Better yet, how about Washington Mutual? Woo hoo.

Speaking of Norwest, I might have switched my investments as well. (If I had money to invest) Let's see... there are several large, dependable management companies. Take Morgan Stanley, for insta... hmmm...

Okay, insurance companies have gotta be doing well, right? They certainly charge enough. In the past I've been tempted to switch my auto coverage from the company I've been with since, uh, well... when I still lived at home. You know, home. With the parents. Anyway, I signed on with the company my parents used at the time. But since then friends and co-workers had mentioned having good rates on their auto insurance. The company was called, um... help me out... it was just some initials or something. Oh yeah! AIG. Glad I didn't switch.

I never got around to purchasing a 'Cafe Paradiso' shirt and all of a sudden it was gone. I believe it was a local, one-off coffee shop. Yes, I'm aware that Caffe Ladro (the replacement) is also a local company/chain. In this case I'm just irked about missing out on the shirt, I suppose.

Remember The Bon Marche? It originated in Washington, you know. Seattle, to be specific. And before I moved to Washington I used to shop at Meier and Frank, originated in Portland, OR. In the 1800's! Does anybody else mourn their passing? (Okay, mourn is too strong a word) Why am I so sentimental? I mean, about evil retailers, specifically. I guess I just am, in general, non-specifically.
Macy's, in it's own right, used to be a rather special store. As a north-westerner, I thought of it as a magical place mentioned in movies I'd seen, or as the sponsor of a famous parade. Now, imho, it's just another chain store. It's too big to be special or interesting.

So it's good-bye northwest businesses, hello Federated Department Stores. Literally!

PS - I'm sure glad I didn't buy the warranty / replacement guarantee for my Sharper Image umbrella! Wouldn't do me much good, now. At least we have the original SI founder selling some interesting products again.