For the last few decades, “mom and pop” stores have survived by hanging on a string. A few local stores still exist in Auburn that have been around for around 50 years, such as J & M Bookstore and Flowersmith’s.

Johnston & Malone Bookstore (J & M) has been in business since 1953 when “Big George” Johnston bought into a bookstore that already existed. For half a century, J & M has thrived as a bookstore and as an Auburn University memorabilia store. J & M has maintained popularity as one of the key stores to visit while in downtown Auburn. Trey Johnston, the current owner of J & M, says that the peak of J & M was during the ‘80s to the turn of the century, particularly when Auburn University football was doing exceptionally well.

Until now. The downfall of the current economy has affected this local store in more of a way that it has affected larger retail stores.

Pat Giddens, manager of J & M, says the economy has affected the store “tremendously”.

“People are deciding between what they really need and what they want. It’s like needing a new T-shirt versus groceries,” said Giddens.
Most of the money that J & M receives comes between August and December of every year, the peak time of football season.

“Because of the faltering football team, we didn’t get our cash reserves built up. Throw in the economy and it was not a great year,” said Johnston.

Johnston believes that parents may have a slight influence on their kids, telling them not to buy the expensive textbooks. Johnston’s newest and biggest competitor is the Internet, where students can buy a $150 textbook for a third of the price.

Johnston says that his immediate goal is to get the store to August, when money from football season will come in. But in the next 10 years, Johnston says he thinks J & M will be sold to the highest bidder. Johnston also believes J & M Bookstore will become known as a “college store” which only sells collegiate merchandise and will cease selling textbooks.

As a student employer of J & M’s art department, Jalyn Gibson has also noticed the effects of the uncertain economy on the bookstore. Gibson, a senior in Marketing and Administration, has observed that the managers are cutting back the workers’ hours.

“It seems like the students are waiting until the last minute to get supplies and they get what they absolutely need,” said Gibson.
Even though J & M is competing with other bookstores and also other stores selling Auburn paraphernalia, the falling economy is a key factor to low sales.

On another side of the local business spectrum is Flowersmith’s, a flower and gift boutique also located in downtown Auburn. Flowersmith’s was established in 1961 by Esther Lewis and her daughter, Sally Barrett. Currently, Barrett and her daughter, Susan High run the store.

High says that the economy hasn’t affected Flowersmith’s as much as shops that deal with only Auburn souvenirs.

“The unfortunate thing about most of the shops downtown is that their items are a luxury and you don’t have to have it,” said High.

High hopes that with the current economy that Flowersmith’s will “stay on course with what we’ve been doing for the last 48 years”.

Though it is apparent these local stores are slightly effected by today’s economy, they still manage to stay strong. Both J & M and Flowersmith’s are well-known downtown stores and hope to be for at least another couple of decades.



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