A different Black Friday at BJ

Black Friday in the Mad Shopper world is the day after Thanksgiving when shoppers are nuts (and fun in their craziness) -- rising early in hopes of bargains.

Yesterday was a different Black Friday at the Beacon Journal as Mary Ethridge gently signed off on her last column. It was indeed a sad day for readers.

Mary begins as always:

Dear Reader,

The Mad Shopper began in November 1993. It was to be a short-lived holiday shopping column written by an intern. When she left, a few of us decided to continue writing it on rotation. But by March 1994, I was the sole Mad Shopper. I have many memories of my Mad Shopper assignments-- some hilarious, others touching.

During Mary’s first year she was ordered to cover a Wal-Mart store opening in Montrose. She describes that experience and relates how she saw the effects of Wal-Mart's presence destroy enormous pieces of vacant land covered in vegetation and watched as it has tried to fend off allegations of illegal and unethical employment practices.

Here’s part of what she wrote

And I have watched as it and other mass merchants have squeezed out the mom and pop stores of the Akron area. I've written far too many obituaries of small retailers in the past dozen years. I've said goodbye to the century-old Thompson drugstore in Kent, Barney's in Wooster, Bumpas Drugs in Tallmadge, the Coffee Cup in Mogadore, Albright's Lighting in Akron.

I also blame Wal-Mart in large part for the meltdown of Rubbermaid Inc., a company that in 1994 was named the nation's most admired company by Fortune magazine. The company was sold three years later.

The decline began when Rubbermaid refused to sell its products to Wal-Mart at a discount that would have wiped out Rubbermaid's profit.

In punishment, Wal-Mart took Rubbermaid products off the shelves for a time.

I have watched as similar and detrimental pressure was applied to Cleveland-based American Greetings, Step2 Corp. of Hudson and Little Tikes of Streetsboro, among many other local companies.

After I wrote a column outlining my issues with Wal-Mart, the Beacon Journal editorial department received a letter from Wal-Mart Chief Executive Officer Lee Scott.

He was miffed by what he called my ``diatribe'' against his company.

I still consider it one of the biggest honors I ever received in journalism. My dad, a newspaper man [former BJ editor], said if columnists aren't making someone angry on a regular basis, they're not doing their job.

I suspect there is more consolidation to come in retail, just like the recent May Co. and Federated Department Stores merger. But I also hope it will bring a brave new tribe of consumers whose criteria for making purchases include more than price.

And here’s the sad ending:

This is my last shopping column. Sigh.

I am leaving the Beacon Journal after 18 years at the newspaper, nearly a dozen of which were spent writing this column and covering business news.

I wasn't among the layoffs you've probably read about here. To use some popular corporate-speak, I'm leaving ``to pursue other interests'' and spend more time with family.

I leave the column in fantastic hands. Kerry Clawson, our current theater critic, is taking over the retail beat as well as Mad Shopper.

Kerry is a fine writer and -- most important -- is passionate about shopping.

Coming to you each week has been a privilege I will always treasure.

Goodbye, readers. And, as always, happy shopping.

Blog Note: You really MUST click on the headline to let Mary tell you the story as only she can. Her father, Mark Ethridge, would be proud.