6 • December 2019
BUSINESS FEATURE
COAST RIVER bUSINeSS JOUrNAL
SURVIVING
& THRIVING
LUKe WHITTAKer
bloomin crazy Floral owner and designer Diane berry utilizes local delivery and unique add-ons to make arrangements stand out compared to big box store alternatives. “We try to offer a more
personal service and higher-quality product,” she said.
Small stores find success amid big box expansion
By LUKE WHITTAKER
coast river business Journal
ASTORIA — The decimation of
small businesses by big box stores has
been well documented.
Walmart, the world’s largest mainly
brick-and-mortar retailer, is often seen
as a common culprit. With more than
11,000 stores worldwide, the corpora-
tion has been tagged with the phrase
‘Walmart Effect,’ a term used to describe
the subsequent closure of neighboring
small businesses.
In June 2018, Walmart officially
opened a 153,000-square-foot store in
Warrenton, joining nearby Costco, The
Home Depot and Fred Meyer.
In November, local family-owned
businesses reflected on the impact of
another retail giant joining the ranks in
Warrenton and how smaller retailers
remain competitive during the holiday
sales season.
Difference is in the details
Bloomin Crazy Floral
971 Commercial St., Astoria
Diane Berry, owner
503-325-3571
bloomincrazyfloral.com
ASTORIA — When Costco opened
on Ensign Lane in Warrenton in Novem-
ber 2009, it hurt the bottom line for a
new budding flower shop on the corner
of Commercial Street in Astoria.
Since then, Bloomin Crazy has
rebounded and blossomed into a more
expansive floral shop offering an
ever-growing line of green plants, clothing