When I first drove up Morris’s Liberty Street, it and Hornsby’s Store was the areas dominate shopping area. As the growth moved north, downtown shopping didn’t change much. Then Wal-Mart moved in taking out Alco, which had bought Hornsby’s. Wal-Mart stressed downtown stores causing some to fail as shoppers moved most of their purchasing to the new discount store. Wal-Mart kept its prices mid-range so downtown stores could continue with better quality or items not sold by Wal-Mart. It was a promotional ploy.

Now Amazon and other Internet stores are assaulting retail. Wal-Mart is trying to compete with reduced prices and special delivery. In the United Kingdom, over fourteen percent of retail is Internet. That is twice our country’s, which allows for downtowns like Morris to continue if not prosper. Small English towns like Morris are shuttering their windows because they can no longer compete with the Internet companies.

Internet purchasing is increasing every year. The question is at what point will those sales make Liberty Street, Division, and Bedford Road ghost towns. Medical vacations to foreign countries are increasing, too. Those are people going to foreign countries for cheaper operations and treatment. Many of the buildings on those streets are medical. Add in the service businesses being usurped by the Internet like insurance and banking. Fewer local people and buildings are needed.

The question is how long will commerce continue in Morris’ buildings. As long as people would rather shop from a chair, bank from a phone, and stream entertainment, the future is not promising for small towns like Morris, Minooka, Channahon or Coal City’s businesses.