"Two major corporate businesses are closing Oswego locations as the number of local shoppers taking their business to online and community stores has increased.

"Bed Bath & Beyond and Blockbuster will be closing in mid-March, so residents will have to travel to Syracuse to shop at these particular chain stores.

"In the case of Blockbuster, the closing may be a result of the increase in popularity of other movie rental companies, like Redbox and Netflix.

"Ordering movies through on-demand streaming services, like Netflix, is an easy choice, said Shelly Sloan, productions coordinator of Lifestyles Health. Either way, she would be spending five bucks per movie, but, by ordering movies through her television, she would be in the comfort of her own home, she said.

"The closing of Bed Bath & Beyond may have a positive influence on other businesses in the Oswego area, including JCPenney, which had lost business to Bed Bath & Beyond since it arrived five years ago, according to JCPenney Store Manager Jeff Bame.

""Our biggest competition is going to Syracuse," Bame said. "It is going to benefit us on a lot of basics."

"However, Oswego residents are unnerved by all of the empty buildings.

""That’s two in one plaza," said Lifestyles’ Administrative Assistant and Oswego resident Pattie Miller. "What’s going to happen to those buildings?"

"The closing of larger corporations may open oppurtunties for small, local business to come into the community. The Mustard Seed Natural Food Market manager Eric Mana thinks this type of growth would benefit the community.

""I think we all need to build more small businesses and come up with better ways to improve the local economy," Mana said.