ThirstyFish

Every year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, an outdoor market of small vendors is set up on the west side of Philadelphia City Hall. Most products in the market are handcrafted gift items such as jewelry, ornaments, toys, rugs, handbags, clothing and bags.

Since Mega Retailers have come into prominence in the 1980's, small retailers such as boutiques, bookstores, hardware stores and grocery stores have suffered greatly and many have gone out of business. With the advent of Online Shopping in the new century, while some vendors with suitable products have made a successful transition, most small retailers have evanished. Mass produced, cloned items pushed by mega stores have replaced many unique, crafted items that were traditionally sold by small vendors.

Evolution dictates that species that fail to adapt to their ever changing environments are in danger of extinction. Similarly, businesses that fail to adapt to ever changing market forces will also disappear. If the current trends continue, which I feel are irreversible for at least a long time, many arts and crafts will also be fading away.