The strength of neighbourhood malls

I bought my Silhouette frames back in 2006 at Cummins Optical in what was then a booming, oh-so-successful neighbourhood mall which drew customers from across London. My oldest granddaughter broke an arm in 2012, I took the broken frames to Cummins and they ordered a replacement. It cost more than a hundred dollars.

Saturday it was my six-year-old granddaughter who broke my Silhouette frames and again it was an arm that bent and broke. I returned to the mall, now a smaller building, one wing has been demolished, and many of the remaining stores are now empty. I was delighted to see that Cummins Optical was still in business.

And this is where the strength of the small, independently-owned business shines. The optician, Matthew Clarke, checked his parts supply—I'm a little unclear as to why he has these assorted spare parts—and he found an arm. It was the right colour, the right size, the right shape and, for me a retiree, it was the right price. Clarke saved me a lot of money and he fixed my frames in minutes.

I doubt that many chain outlets could offer such fine service. There are advantages to both the customer and to the frame manufacturers to dealing with small stores like Cummins. I never would have bought the Silhouette frames in the first place if it had not been for the perceptive salesperson at the small store. They understood my needs—a working photographer I appreciated the lightness and the solid attachment—she also warned me that the frames were fragile. The store staff has always treated me honestly and left me feeling they know their business and care about their customers.

I understand the owner of Cummins is now in his seventies. I fear the day is coming when Westmount Mall will have another empty store front: Cummins Optical.