Auburn needs a magnet store for the downtown area.

Strategically located, it would serve as a beacon to attract shoppers. A large, two-storied merchandiser, featuring variety, quality and competitive pricing would draw shoppers downtown from a wide segment of the population. Conceivably, it would be a one-stop family store with clothing and accessories for mom and dad, children and their grandparents. With such a magnanimous merchandiser at hand, the exodus to neighboring malls and beyond might be stemmed.

Currently, families are forced to shop piecemeal for clothing. This usually takes the form of frequenting a mall and absorbing the off-the-rack selections that tend to be generic reproductions of each other, limited in design and variety. Malls tend to target teens and young adults. Pre-teens and adults, particularly men and women of large proportions, are virtually excluded from the market. They, in turn, must travel great distances to complete their wardrobe. Moreover, a resident tailor, much less a seasoned clothing specialist, is not characteristically germane to a mall clothier. Delivery service, a necessary component of good customer service, is also the exception.

The professional clothier disappeared with the demise of the department store and the subsequent proliferation of malls. This is a national phenomenon. Today's consumer is attended to by many part-time employees, and the clothing industry, in the presence of a mall, has come to predetermine the needs of the consumer. Buying habits have thus become skewed to reflect the needs of the producer rather than those of the consumer.

Shoppers have begun to react. Many, particularly seniors, long for a merchandiser who will address their needs on a continual and professional basis with selections originality and wide appeal that are durable and problem free. A store choosing to outfit a diverse clientele would enjoy success in the downtown area, and neighboring businesses could enjoy gains as well. Parking accommodations will need to be re-evaluated, and the new enterprise would need to be coupled with a rebirth of theater and arts.

Years ago, the Big Store served as a focus of attraction for shoppers. It represented a way of life to both employees and consumers inasmuch as shoppers would consistently return to trade with their favorite clerk, and some salespeople worked their entire career at the Big Store. These dedicated workers added a personal touch to each transaction.

To many Auburnians, the Big Store held the stature of a weekend social event. New attractions greeted shoppers almost every day. Alterations took place in house and suits came out pressed and ready to wear.

Perhaps plans for downtown revitalization will include the framework for a merchandiser who embraces consumer prerogatives and genuinely enjoys doing business in a medium-sized city.

Fogarty writes from Auburn