The continental United States is so packed with retailers that it’s hard to remember what it’s like to want something simple and be unable to get it. We’re spoiled by an embarrassment of retail riches. Not so St Croix (one of the US Virgin Islands), where I’ve owned a condo for the past 7 years. St Croix has had its ups and downs over the years, but has been on a real upswing for the past decade. Cruise ships have returned to the island, and some strong PR campaigns are bringing the islands into mainstream awareness. Retail, however, has lagged behind. The only familiar large chain stores on island were Kmart (2) and OfficeMax (1).

Local DIY stores have limited assortments at best, and wanting something “custom ” like wood kitchen cabinets could take months to have made (it’s a tropical island, with beautiful beaches….so work goes slowly). We’ve paid high premiums for appliances like washing machines and dishwashers. Others bought their “stuff ” on the mainland or Puerto Rico and shipped them over at their own cost via container cargo ship. Not cheap.

Given the above, you can imagine our delight when we heard Home Depot was coming to St Croix. The news was announced about a year ago, ground breaking happened in December, with store opening planned for September 2011.

With the history of work projects on island, we thought there wasn’t a prayer that the store would open on time, but in fact it opened a day early!! Instead of a ribbon cutting, Home Depot had a board sawing.

I went down to the island for a visit in late September and all the people I spoke to were beside themselves with glee. The caretaker at my condo asked “Have you seen a Home Depot? It’s like Disneyland for Home Improvements. ” My friend, realtor Lorine Williams, who’s a member of the St Croix Chamber of Commerce and helped at the board cutting, reported prices to be “a smidge ” above prices on the mainland, with an admirable assortment. She said the opening ceremonies were a real celebration, with palpable excitement all around.

I’m excited too. My kitchen cabinets are nearing the end of their days, and the bathroom vanity is an unusual size and not in much better shape. Every single item in both rooms is a non-standard size, and because we’re right on the water, we really can’t use fiberboard. So our choices were

1. pay too much and have it take too long or
   
2. pay too much and ship the finished products to the island with fingers crossed.
   

Now I have a third option, and I really like it. I also have a sudden appreciation for how the judicious placement of a big box retailer can have a positive impact on a local economy. I don’t believe HD will kill local businesses because there are so few retailers actually selling the products HD is offering. Kmart may take a hit, but there really isn’t that much overlap between the two chains.

The point of this piece is big box retailing can be a real asset to the surrounding community, not just a local business killer. I’ve now seen it firsthand. Certainly, Home Depot won’t be a stop on the island tour for visiting cruise ships, but it’ll be a stop on my trip every time I go to the island!

Next April I am honored to be on the docket to speak at the Global Retailing Conference at the Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing, Norton School of Family & Consumer Sciences, University of Arizona. It’s a great conference that I’ve attended a couple of times as a guest. Frank Blake, CEO of Home Depot will also take the podium (among other great speakers). Apart from being honored to share “billing ” with someone of that stature, I really can’t wait to shake Mr. Blake’s hand at the Speakers’ Dinner the night before. Not only has he spearheaded a spectacular turnaround of Home Depot here in the States, he’s made my life on St Croix a lot easier. On time, under budget, and well executed.

Congratulations to all of us from all of us who live on St. Croix.