02 Dec The New Shop In Town
When I was young, being the new kid in town generally got you beat up. Thus was sometimes a formal process, with the local bully stopping you on the school playground to establish dominance as soon as possible. Most times it worked, as that is what bullies are good at doing. In some cases that one time was all that was needed and the place settled down again as the pecking order was re-affirmed. It might be the same with commercial premises - a new shop in town might be set upon by others in an effort to establish the old order - but the process would be different. I have read of new enterprises being afflicted with commercial complaint designed to shut them up. Other firms might engage in undercutting or try to prevent supply of a new shop by influencing wholesalers. Even the denial of permits and licences has been used. But not with Perth. Not now - not in the face of empty premises and economic hardship. Not with projects virus-stalled on the top of money-squeezed. Opening a business...