So are there store types we tend to see as indicative of poor neighborhoods? Or are they just a sign of the times?

Auto Parts Stores

Poor people don’t buy new cars, because they can’t afford the payments and often don’t have the best credit history. Rather, they maintain their old cars. We are reminded of the cobbler whose children have the worst shoes. When we need expert car care, we trust it to individuals who may, by some standards, be considered poor.

Having said that, many affluent people also avoid buying new cars. Winning with money means knowing that a new car loses 25% of its value the instant it’s driven off the lot.

Convenience Stores

People winning with money have a plan. They maintain a budget, and plan ahead for needs. By and large, convenience stores take advantage of our lack of planning. This is why prices in convenience stores are usually higher than in the grocery store.

However, affluent people for whom convenience is a money dial will always opt to visit the Sheetz rather than stand in long lines at China Mart.

Fast-food Restaurants

This is related to the convenience stores… lack of planning and laziness. When a town has more fast-food restaurants than sit-down restaurants, it can mean that poverty is lurking.

The money dial reasoning among the affluent can be applied here as well.

Tobacco Stores

How do many folks cope with adversity? You guessed it! Self-medication. Whether it’s booze or nicotine, self-medication is a well-documented phenomenon among those living in poverty. Smoking, for sure, is well-studied and documented as a habit of the poor.

Although, I don’t know anyone who smokes, I do know of many affluent individuals who like to start the weekend off with a dry gin martini or cosmopolitan.

Tattoo Parlors

Tattoos are perhaps the ultimate manifestation of one’s personality. From famous billionaire musicians to prison inmates, tattoos provide permanent documentation of our beliefs.

I’m not knocking tats. My best friend has several very cool tattoos. I am actually pondering what to ink myself with. A person with a tattoo has made a conscious decision to tell the world exactly where they stand. That takes courage.

Perhaps poor people feel there is no other form of permanent expression than tattoos. But that would only make sense if affluent people did not also have ink.

Conclusion

So does the presence of these 5 storefronts identify poverty-ridden neighborhoods? Or are they a sign of capitalists at work providing value to citizens by providing what the data shows we want?

You decide!