Why NC should think twice about the massive Buc-ee’s planned on I-85

Why NC should think twice about the massive Buc-ee’s planned on I-85

GLANTZ Over the past few years, proposals have been made to build the first Buc-ee’s in North Carolina along the busy Interstate 40/85 corridor. For readers who may be unfamiliar, Buc-ee’s is a Texas-based chain of convenience stores, known for their massive size, unique snacks and extensive selection of novelty retail goods. Mathew Gendle I’m a silly guy at heart, and on one hand, I love the idea that this Buc-ee’s might provide travelers with a place to rest, use a clean restroom and browse a seemingly endless selection of humorous tchotchkes. After all, the Carolinas have a long history of embracing interstate highway kitsch at well-known establishments such as South of the Border. On the other hand, I am concerned by what Buc-ee’s represents, particularly within the context of the global environmental crisis. Buc-ee’s locations are enormous — often featuring more than 100 fuel pumps and over 50,000 square feet of retail space packed with cheap souvenirs and consumer goods. And I believe that this excess makes Buc-ee’s a prime example of end-stage American consumerism at its worst. A large proportion of the non-food items that Buc-ee’s stocks are cheap, foreign-produced novelty products that are certain to lose their perceived value once the purchaser’s road trip has ended. These aren’t heirloom objects to be treasured and passed down across generations. Rather, I would bet that nearly every non-consumable item for sale inside a Buc-ee’s will end up in a landfill within five years of purchase.

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