Sep 21, 2007

Cooperation can be good business for everyoneBy Jennifer Heldt PowellBostonHerald.com

It could have been a lonely night at the Book Rack in Arlington.

Owner Mike Buglio wanted to host a Harry Potter extravaganza, but the neighboring shops are usually closed in the evening. In a remarkable demonstration of cooperation, they stayed open late, highlighting Medford Street as a shopping destination.

Shop owners even helped staff booths for wand making and other activities for children.

In an era when consumers flock to malls and big box retailers with ample parking, quaint local shops are scrambling to capture every customer they can.

The Arlington businesses around the historic Regent Theater are taking a different path. They’re following the adage that there is strength in numbers. Though they are direct competitors, they have banded together for joint advertising and other projects. Already, they’re making holiday plans.

“On some level, we’re all competing for money from the same people, so it can be a challenge from that perspective,” Buglio admits. “But ultimately, we all offer different things.”

The goal is to make customers think of Medford Street as the place to shop, he said. If they come to the area and buy shoes from Janiaks Unique Shoe Boutique, maybe they’ll notice a book in his window and stop in.

“It makes sense because we can offer our customers more,” said Kathleen Keady, owner of La Lady Bug Boutique, a gift shop.

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