We really do romanticize the idea of little mom & pop stores being better than big box stores (especially anti-big box people). Â In my experience, the little retailers who thrive do so not because they try to compete with Home Depot or Wal-Mart, but because they offer the things the big box stores won’t bother stocking. Â My local hardware store doesn’t stay in business by offering everything the Home Depot does, but rather by having an outstanding selection of hardware and a beautiful garden department with heirloom plants & seeds, and the like.
Small businesses that do well fill in the niches and compete against each other.