| The term “Mom & Pop Shop” is an American term for a small and independent business, typically family-owned and operated. These stores are a contrast with the larger chain or big-box stores. In some parts of any remote place, there would be one or two competing stores with similar content. Sometimes, they are mistaken for what you expect in a store. But they are more likely to be a home improvement shop.
Basically, they are like the Mr. D.I.Y. or your typical department store and hardware all rolled into one to cater to a small town community. The name LC Department Store is one, but the very few who have a sort of foothold in the business within the municipal town of Baganga in Davao Oriental. |
It’s not often you will ever travel and end up living in a rural area where access is limited and the distance to a store will be miles away. It’s not that uncommon, as this is how life was probably in the city when things were still scarce and trying to establish businesses in this type of location.
LC Department Store is an unknown shop in the town of Baganga, and it’s no surprise that you haven’t heard of it, because there are no signs in front of their building, and they are not even on Google Maps unless you are familiar with the location and search for the store beside it. They don’t even have a social media presence on platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
Generic No Branding
The store does not have well-known branded products, but has similar things you can find at an establishment in a big city; what they carry are small-scale scale commonly used household items. From no-name brand sneakers, clothing, and the stuff you need for your kitchen, is what they have to offer.
Sometimes, the ones you don’t see often become something uniquely available at their store. People who are used to branded products would scoff at it as some knock-off store. But the products they have can do the job that expensive, branded items that are similarly used could not even last long enough to be considered durable.
One Stop Shop
They are considered a one-stop shop, like most local stores you will find in the city, but this time, they carry the same items without the noticeable branding. But there are also “local brands” that are popular in this region that are not widely known, which could be something that is waiting to be discovered to be good enough to be popular at the same time, and affordable to everyone’s needs.
They even have home appliances like flat screen TVs and washing machines that are affordable and durable that which might put some well-established brands to shame. It’s something that people take for granted in their everyday use here that they are not alluded to the brand name, but rather, a common thing that they would have in their homes that doesn’t have that brand identity.
Personally, they are a hardware store with all the household items and other things you might discover, like name-branded shoes and clothing, or affordable school uniforms that they have in their clothing section. They have other familiar things too, like knock-offs of products you might see somewhere, care for some Labubus?
It’s also an alternative store aside from the newly opened Mr. D.I.Y., which is taking up their market for having their own house brands similar to Australia’s ANKO. An overall look at the LC Department Store was just something most consumers should know that not all stores need to be seen, but they are most often discovered, like this local shop in the heart of the municipal town of Baganga in Davao Oriental.
NOTE:
The Photos used in this article are taken a few minutes before the earthquake with the magnitude of 7.6 that rocked Baganga, Davao Oriental on October 10th at 9:43 AM (Local Time), and this store has soon recovered after the unforseen incident.
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