To the Editor:

As the holidays approach we wanted to say thank you to our customers, fellow merchants, delivery drivers, and municipal workers who have reached out, checked-in, and lent a helping hand through the COVID crisis. There have been many challenges since we have been in business, but this one takes the cake. If not for the kindness of others we would not have been able to make it this far, either financially or spiritually. But, we are not out of the woods yet!

For the last decade jaZams and nearly all other merchants in town have been struggling. Faced with the pressures of the false economy of online retail, we have been working harder and longer for less and less. Always optimistic, we press on because we love what we do and are committed to the community we serve. As we are sure you have noticed, many of us have not survived. Most recently, the pandemic has sealed the fate of many of our retail family. For those retailers the cause of death will read “COVID-19” but the underlying condition will be online retail.

What every member of our community needs to understand is that every time the “Buy” button is pushed for a big online retailer our local economy — and the community it enlivens — becomes less viable. We understand why shopping online is attractive, but because of the staggering imbalance of capital local merchants will never be able to adequately respond to the Amazons of this world. No, we cannot stock every item you want. We cannot give you prices pennies above wholesale. We cannot shuttle items to your doorsteps via voice activated commands. It’s just not in the cards.

But what local merchants can do is something far more valuable. We can show you how something works, figure out what you are looking for with the smallest bit of information, or find the perfect something for a most particular someone. We can donate to the civic organizations, churches, and schools that serve our kids and the most vulnerable among us. We can show up for a child’s performance or adult’s debut poetry reading that was mentioned in our shops. We can offer a hug at the funeral of a loved one. We can take time to not only be a shopkeep, but a friend, a confidant, an active member of the Princeton community. We are here through the triumphs and the tragedies not just to make a living, but to make Princeton a great place to live.

jaZams has been part of this community for a quarter century. For some reading this letter, we have sold you toys and books for your children, later hired those kids as teenagers, and are now selling toys and books to their children  — your grandchildren!  Our commitment to quality and value continues and will as long as our community supports us. We are here for you. So are all of your local merchants. Please be here for us. We need your support now more than ever.

Joanne Farrugia and Dean Smith
Co-Owners, jaZams
Palmer Square East