Anyone remember the small cornor grocery stores?

[Kansas kymco]

Growing up in Eldorado we had all kinds of small Mom and Pop grocery stores all over town. They slowly went out of business in the 60's

The way I understood it is households use to have one vechicle the husband took to work and the wife would walk to the cornor grocery store was the rational at the time.  I remember pedaling my bike down to them to get a coke and candy bar.

Today convenience stores/fuel stations fill that role just not in residential areas.

[Neil955i]

Glad to say we still have one in the village where I live KK and it is very well patronised by the locals.  Long may that continue!  http://www.aroundbetley.co.uk/betley-village-shop-post-office/

[Stig / Major Tom]

My coffee village has "Tom's" grocery - used by many in the village. He has survived for decades only because it is several miles in any direction to the nearest 'Super-Market', or Walmart of any kind.
The village has a "housing shortage" (in other words there aren't enough homes or apartments for all the people who want to move there)..... which understandably is being resisted by many residents.
Some are pushing for more local lands to be opened to new home building - which is moving in the direction of the kind of expansion which will surely bring a Walmart on the edge of town. The only franchise which has successfully invaded is "Subway".....and the new Mills Lawn Hotel was a divisive addition. I see the hotel guests early mornings as they venture out to look at things. The only place open, other than one gas station, is Dino's.

All other shops are small - and run by locals. This is what has made the village a destination village - for decades.
I've been coming here since the 60's....when it was full of hippies from Antioch college in town.

Stig

It's not for all, obviously......but not because you're not welcome

"What happens when you take a very small liberal arts college with an east coast inteligencia flare, mix in a strong dose of hippie vibe and lesbian style with an essence of farmer and local towny?  You get:  Yellow Springs, Ohio.  Perhaps the most eclectic town in all of Midwest USA."

[Iahawk]

We still have one wonderful, classic, corner mom and pop grocery store left in Iowa City..John's Grocery. It's been there since 1948 and is in a building built in 1848. It is a classic corner grocery with food, deli and a large 'adult beverage' section.

i believe it has survived due to its proximity to the campus of the Universiity of Iowa. It has served students and locals for 70+ years. It has a great, retro, old school vibe to it.

[Kansas kymco]

Glad to say we still have one in the village where I live KK and it is very well patronised by the locals.  Long may that continue!  http://www.aroundbetley.co.uk/betley-village-shop-post-office/

Neat little store Neil. 

[Ex-KLR]

Still open in Rugby, Tennessee.

[Kansas kymco]

Neat that some are still around, around here they all went out in the sixties.  Some small towns in Kansas still have a private grocery store but the majority have been pushed out of business by Wallyworld and Kroger.

[Ex-KLR]

Neat that some are still around, around here they all went out in the sixties.  Some small towns in Kansas still have a private grocery store but the majority have been pushed out of business by Wallyworld and Kroger.

Brooks Store in Rugby TN is open because it's 20 miles to WalMart

[boo]

My grandmother owned a small grocery store. I walked her to and from the store in snowy weather and helped in the store some.
That was in the 50 s. Crime was non existant in our area. That was a wonderful time in my life.
I was very fortunate to be able to grow up is such a nice place. Later on things changed for the worse. When I was about 17 0r 18, the government started something call urban renewal. Blacks move into our neighborhood. Now they are shooting each other and the community is a disaster.
I think it was Kroger that ran my grandmother out of business. She could not compete with them.
At that time no one had heard of Walmart.
I have fond memories of the good old days.

[Kansas kymco]

Boo a lot of Mom and Pop stores met their demise because they could not compete with volume buying.

I remember IGA (independent grocery association )  in Eldorado.  It was a attempt for independent grocery stores to band together for volume buying in order to compete.

I remember when downtowns were thriving before Wallyworld came in. Now it's Internet Sales time moves on.  What next a replicator *?

*  Star Trek reference

[Ex-KLR]

Unfortunately, the way of life we experienced as kids is long gone and will probably never return.
A world wide disaster that sets civilization back 100 years may be the (very expensive in human life) way that it could happen.
I may sound like Chicken Little, but city and suburb people would have few resources necessary for survival.

[Kansas kymco]

Unfortunately, the way of life we experienced as kids is long gone and will probably never return.
A world wide disaster that sets civilization back 100 years may be the (very expensive in human life) way that it could happen.
I may sound like Chicken Little, but city and suburb people would have few resources necessary for survival.

Your right,  my sister said WWIII might be fought by nuclear weapons but World war IIII will be fought with sticks and stones.

[Clampett]

Some of you may find this little map I keep up of General Stores around the world. Most are in the USA. I've compiled this from the ADV website:
MAP

[aschrauth]

Still open in Rugby, Tennessee.

we never have those where I am located. All we have is big box stores and the stores that are individually owned are long gone.