Small towns are creating and saving their local grocery stores; here's how a few are finding success

Prairie Market's design is inspired by a popular chain, Trader
Joe's Grocery. (Photo courtesy of Prairie Market)

You have no fried onions for tomorrow's green-bean casserole. You'll go to the store and get some if you're an urban dweller. If you're a rural dweller, you will have no fried onions unless you want to DRIVE. "The Department of Agriculture lists 76 counties nationwide that are without a single grocery store, and 34 of those counties are in the Midwest and Great Plains," reports Aaron Bonderson of Harvest Public Media. Rural grocery stores that do exist face stiff challenges. "Big-box stores and grocery consolidation have added even more pressure on local grocers. A recent USDA report shows the percentage of grocery sales from the nation's top 20 retailers more than doubled from 1990 to 2020, while the consolidation was more pronounced in rural areas."

Yet most small towns residents want a local grocery. Bonderson explains, "For about five years, Emerson, Nebraska, pop. 824, had no grocery, leaving residents to drive at least 20 miles for a full-service grocer. Then last year, the community came together to support a new co-op. . . . . Post 60 Market moved into the old American Legion building. . . . . Manager Brian Horak said the village of people invested nearly $160,000 in the store. . . . . Investors receive discounts, dividends and elect a board of directors each year to oversee large financial decisions." Horak told Bonderson, "With being a co-op and so many people bought in – it's like you got multiple owners who have just as much commitment to see this thing succeed."

Bonderson provides Circle C market in Cody, Nebraska, pop. 167, as an example: "It's run by the Cody-Kilgore school district. The store got started in 2008 with the help of several national organizations and a grant from the USDA. . . . . The Village of Cody owns the building, while the school district and a local nonprofit, Cowboy Grit, helped finance the store. . . . Each semester about eight students help at the Circle C Market as part of a class, learning important skills." Teacher and store manager Liz Ravenscroft told Boderson, "We are vital to the community. The next closest grocery store is 40 miles to the east, and the other closest grocery store is an hour to the west."

Other rural grocery stores have tweaked their business models to increase sales. "Laura and Don Palmer first started Prairie Market in Paullina, Iowa, pop. 952, eight years ago. Like many businesses, they struggled at first. Then they adjusted their hours, staying open on nights and weekends to cater to their customers, who often commute long distances," Bonderson reports. The couple painted their store a cheery shade of teal, mimicking a popular retailer. Laura Palmer told Bonderson, "My favorite store was Trader Joe's. . . . People come in the store, especially young people, they want to come in, and they want it to be vibrant and clean and organized."

Kansas is another state working to address the lack. It established "The Rural Grocery Initiative" to support rural grocery stores, reports Bonderson. The initiative's leader Rial Carver told Bonderson, "We've seen success with communities kind of becoming engaged through cooperatives, through public-private partnerships. We've even seen nonprofits and school run grocery stores, as well as municipally run stores in communities."