Editing General store

{{Short description|Rural or small-town store}}
{{for|the album by Owen Temple|General Store (album)}}
{{Redirect|Country Store|the muesli product made by Kellogg's|Country Store (muesli)}}
[[File:Smiths Gully General Store.jpg|thumb|Smiths Gully General Store in [[Smiths Gully, Victoria|Smiths Gully]], [[Australia]]]]
[[File:General store interior Alabama USA.jpg|thumb|Interior of a general store in [[Moundville, Alabama|Moundville]], Alabama, US, 1936]]

A '''general merchant store''' (also known as '''general merchandise store''', '''general dealer''', '''village shop''', or '''country store''') is a rural or small-town [[Retailing|store]] that carries a [[general line of merchandise]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stds.statcan.ca/english/naics/2002/naics02-class-search.asp?criteria=452|title=North American Industry Classification (NAICS) 2002, "452 General Merchandise Stores (US)"|access-date=2008-07-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616095743/http://stds.statcan.ca/english/naics/2002/naics02-class-search.asp?criteria=452|archive-date=2008-06-16|url-status=dead}}</ref> It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general goods. The store carries routine stock and obtains special orders from [[Wholesale|warehouses]]. It differs from a [[convenience store]] or corner shop in that it will be the main shop for the community rather than a convenient supplement.

General stores often sell staple food items such as milk and bread, and various household goods such as hardware and electrical supplies. The concept of the general store is very old, and although some still exist, there are far fewer than there once were, due to [[urbanization]], [[urban sprawl]], and the relatively recent phenomenon of [[big-box stores]]. The term "general merchandise store" is also used to describe a hybrid of a [[department store]], with a wide selection of goods, and a [[discount store]], with low prices. Examples include [[J. C. Penney]] and [[Sears]].<ref>"America's top stores". ''Consumer Reports'' June 2010, p. 17.</ref>

==History==
General dealers were established in the 18th and 19th centuries in many remote populated places where mobility was limited and a single shop was sufficient to service the entire community. Due to its close connection and confinement to its customers, general dealers often adjusted their sales offerings to the specific preferences of their community.<ref name=NSW>{{cite book|title=An historical and statistical account of New South Wales: both as a penal settlement and as a British colony|volume=1|last=Lang|first=John Dunmore|author-link=John Dunmore Lang|publisher=Cochrane and M'Crone|year=1834|pages=236, 237}}</ref>

General dealers existed, apart from [[Continental Europe|mainland]] [[Europe]] and [[Asia]], in all European colonies and generally in areas where [[Settler|colonists]] encroached upon communities that previously did not trade with money.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Jewish Community |url=http://newhistory.co.za/part-3-chapter-11-the-white-communities-the-jewish-community/|publisher=News history|access-date=2 December 2011|quote=Through their trading activities these merchant capitalists accelerated the transition from a subsistence to a cash economy.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611174204/http://newhistory.co.za/part-3-chapter-11-the-white-communities-the-jewish-community/|archive-date=11 June 2012}}</ref> In the colonies, trading or bartering in local produce had existed long before official shops were opened. The growing need for imported goods, both from European settlers and [[Indigenous peoples|native]] populations, led to the establishment of a network of [[merchant]]s, and subsequently to the creation of a money economy.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wild|first=V|year=1992|title=An Outline of African Business History in Colonial Zimbabwe|journal=Zambezia|volume=19|issue=1|url=http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/pdfs/Journal%20of%20the%20University%20of%20Zimbabwe/vol19n1/juz019001004.pdf|access-date=9 June 2011}}</ref>

==By country==

===Australia===
[[File:Narracan General Store, Old Gippstown.JPG|thumb|The former Narracan General Store, now located at [[Old Gippstown]] in [[Moe, Victoria|Moe]], Australia]]

While a large number of general stores still exist in Australia, as in other parts of the world their numbers were greatly reduced by the advent of supermarkets.

===Canada===
The oldest continually run general store in Canada is Trousdale's, located in [[Sydenham, Frontenac County, Ontario|Sydenham, Ontario]], which has been operated by the Trousdale family since 1836. Sociability has always been a feature, as locals come to chat as well as buy.<ref>Richard Bauman, "The La Have Island general store: Sociability and verbal art in a Nova Scotia community." ''Journal of American Folklore'' (1972): 330-343. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/539322 in JSTOR]</ref> Gray Creek Store in Gray Creek, [[Kootenay Bay]], Canada is the largest and oldest general dealer in the [[Kootenay Lake]] region<ref>{{cite web|title=Gray Creek|publisher=britishcolumbia.com|url=http://www.mackenziebc.com/regions/towns/?townID=3498|access-date=25 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112812/http://www.mackenziebc.com/regions/towns/?townID=3498|archive-date=28 January 2015}}</ref> Enniskillen General Store in Clarington, Ontario has been in operation since 1840 and still continues today. Robinson's General Store in Dorset, Ontario, voted "Canada's Best Country Store", has been owned and operated by the same family since 1921.

===Dominican Republic===
[[File:Colmado.png|thumb|Woman buying from a colmado in the Dominican Republic]]

In the [[Dominican Republic]], a colmado is the country's equivalent of a general store. Colmado literal translation is 'full to the brim'<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jetsettlersmag.com/2011/11/10/the-colmado-in-the-dominican-republic/|title=The Colmado in the Dominican Republic - JetSettlers Magazine|date=10 November 2011}}</ref> implying its great density of goods in a small space. The colmado is much more than just a general store, for it offers a social gathering point for the residents of the town or neighborhood. The colmado is an important institution in the Dominican Republic serving as an economic, social and political center for every small community. It is common for colmados to have loud Dominican music such as merengue, bachata, or salsa playing.  A common pastime for Dominican men is to play dominoes and drink a beer at their local colmado on Sundays. Another particularity of the colmado is that they provide delivery service of their products directly to the customer's dwelling. Products range from beer, snacks, toilet paper to flashlights and canned food.

===Egypt===
The [[Greeks|Greek]] merchants in [[Egypt]] were called ''bakal''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Modern Egypt, Part Two: Orientalism|last=Turner|first=Bryan|edition=reprinted|date=2000|isbn=9780415209069|page=251}}</ref>

===Finland===
[[File:Kokkilan Uusi sekatavarakauppa.jpg|thumb|General store in [[Angelniemi]], 1930.]]
[[File:Yttilän kyläkauppa.jpg|thumb|A village store (''Sepon kauppa''; or "Seppo's shop") in [[Yttilä]], [[Säkylä]], in August 2011. This particular store was closed in 2014.]]

General stores (''sekatavarakauppa'') first appeared in Finland in 1859 when fixed shop retailers were allowed to set up shops in rural towns for the first time. Prior to that, authorised trade in rural products other than those produced in the same region depended on city travel, open-air markets and fairs.<ref>Kaarniranta, Kim: "Elämää rahaa käärien ja velkoen" : Pohjois-Karjalan maaseudun sekatavarakauppiaat ja heidän velallisensa 1860- ja 1870-luvuilla. Väitöskirja : Joensuun yliopisto. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2001. {{ISBN|951-746-302-2}}.</ref> A related type of store is the village store (''kyläkauppa''), typically located in sparsely populated towns, which still performs many similar functions to general stores. As in many other countries, their numbers were greatly reduced with the advent of supermarkets, from over 3400 such shops in 1980 to 241 in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/kauppoja-kuolee-noin-30-kaupan-vuosivauhdilla-monkijat-jatsarit-tai-hifi-laitteet-pitavat-kylakauppoja-hengissa/84973fdd-776c-3371-a1a1-99ac2b29f0ff|title="Kauppoja kuolee noin 30 kaupan vuosivauhdilla" – Mönkijät, jatsarit tai hifi-laitteet pitävät kyläkauppoja hengissä|last=Mainio|first=Tapio|website=Talouselämä|date=24 November 2018 |language=fi|access-date=2020-02-24}}</ref>

===India===
[[File:Tappri.jpg|thumb|right|Tapri on Mumbai streets]]

In India, a tapri is a regional version of a general store. It stores all home, personal, medical, and hygienic daily-use products. Many Kirana shops sell products other than food, such as clothing or household items, stationery, toys, tools, and medicines. Small Kirana stores, which are generally located on the corner of streets and generally known as katta or tapri, sell cigarettes, tobacco, and tea.<ref>Piyali Ghosh,  et al., "Customer expectations of store attributes: A study of organized retail outlets in India." ''Journal of Retail & Leisure Property'' 9.1 (2010): 75-87.</ref>

[[File:Men in shalwar kameez on the road to Kalash, Pakistan.jpg|thumb|General Store on the road to [[Kalasha Desh|Kalash]] valleys, [[Chitral]], Pakistan]]

Recently, there has been a notable integration of Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) services in Kirana or general stores across India. AePS allows customers to conduct basic banking transactions such as cash withdrawal, balance inquiry, and fund transfer using their Aadhaar number and biometric authentication. This integration has enabled Kirana stores to serve as financial service points, offering convenient banking services to local communities. 

On 30 July 2024, [[Open Network for Digital Commerce]] (ONDC) introduced an interoperable QR code to link neighborhood store owners with consumers. With ONDC-registered buyer apps like Magicpin and [[Paytm]], merchants can create a unique QR code that customers can scan to access their online store on the ONDC platform.<ref>{{cite web|date=30 July 2024|title=ONDC launches interoperable QR Code to empower local sellers, artisans|url=https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/e-commerce/e-tailing/ondc-launches-interoperable-qr-code-to-empower-local-sellers-artisans/112134284|access-date=2024-08-01|website=ETRetail.com|language=en}}</ref>  

===Namibia===
Due to its sparse population, there are still a number of general dealers in [[Namibia]], for instance, the Solitaire General Dealer in [[Solitaire, Namibia|Solitaire]], an important stopover for tourists through Namibia's [[Namib-Naukluft Park]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Solitaire Country Lodge|publisher=The Cardboard Box travel shop|url=http://www.namibian.org/travel/lodging/private/solitaire_country_lodge.htm|access-date=1 July 2014}}</ref>

===Puerto Rico===
In Puerto Rico, a [[Territories of the United States|US territory]], several general stores ("colmado") have proliferated since the 1970s.

* [[Supermercados Selectos]]
* [[Supermercados Econo]]

===South Africa===
There are still many general dealers in [[South Africa]]; the oldest is Oom Samie se Winkel ({{langx|af|Uncle Sammie's Shop}}) in Dorp Street, [[Stellenbosch]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sustainablestellenbosch.co.za/historic-town-of-character|title=Historic Town of Character|publisher=Sustainable Stellenbosch|access-date=2 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217024418/http://www.sustainablestellenbosch.co.za/historic-town-of-character|archive-date=17 December 2011}}</ref> Oepverkoop is the oldest general dealer in [[Paternoster, Western Cape]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Paternoster Service Guide|publisher=capewestcoastpeninsula.co.za|url=http://www.capewestcoastpeninsula.co.za/paternoster/paternoster_service_guide.php?service_cat_id=5|access-date=1 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603111036/http://www.capewestcoastpeninsula.co.za/paternoster/paternoster_service_guide.php?service_cat_id=5|archive-date=3 June 2015}}</ref> Goodwood Museum in [[Cape Town]] displays the operation of a general dealer shop.<ref>{{cite web|title=Catalog report - Other Material by Subject|publisher=[[South African Heritage Resources Agency]]|url=http://www.sahra.org.za/Other%20Material%20by%20Subject.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115145048/http://www.sahra.org.za/Other%20Material%20by%20Subject.htm|access-date=29 October 2010|archive-date=15 November 2010 |quote=John Olsen's dream for children to see how an old times general dealer's shop use to function has been created at the Goodwood Museum.}}</ref>

===United Kingdom===
{{Unsourced-section|date=March 2023}}
[[File:Best One British Corner Shop.jpg|thumb|A [[Best-One]] corner shop in the [[United Kingdom]], 2008]]
Village shops are becoming less common in the densely populated parts of the country, although they remain common in remote [[rural]] areas.

Their rarity in England is due to several factors, such as the rise in car ownership, competition from large chain [[supermarket]]s, the rising cost of village properties, and the increasing trend of the wealthy to own [[holiday homes]] in picturesque villages, consequently these houses which used to be occupied full-time by potential customers are often vacant for long periods.

Of those villages in England who still have shops, these days they are often a combination of services under one roof to increase the likelihood of profit and survival. Extra services may include a [[post office]], private business services such as [[tearoom]]s, [[British cafe|cafe]]s, and [[bed and breakfast]] accommodation; or state services such as [[public library|libraries]] and [[General Practitioner]] (GP) or Dental clinics; and charity partners such as [[Women's Institute]] (WI) coffee mornings held on the day most elderly villagers might collect their weekly pensions.

Community shops have become popular in some villages, often jointly owned and run by many villagers as a [[co-operative]]. The Village Retail Services Association promotes the role and function of the village shop in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virsa.org/ViRSA|title=Virsa.org|website=www.virsa.org}}</ref> Many modern village shops choose to stock items which draw in customers from neighboring areas who are seeking [[local food|locally sourced]], [[Organic food|organic]] and specialist produce such as local cuts of meat, local cheeses, wines etc.

Corner shops are usually so-called because they are located on the corner plot or street end of a row of [[terraced house|terraced housing]], often [[Victorian era|Victorian]] or [[Edwardian era|Edwardian]] factory workers' houses. The doorway into the shop was usually on the corner of the plot to maximize shop floor space within, this also offered two display windows onto two opposing streets. Many have now altered the original shop front layout in favor of a mini-supermarket style. Although it is common that corner shops found in the [[UK]] were former grocers' shops, other specialist retailers also occupied such plots and have suffered the same fate of being largely replaced by supermarkets and hypermarkets, such retailers as [[greengrocer]]s, [[baker]]s, [[butcher]]s and [[fishmonger]]s.

====In popular culture====
Many British television and radio series, especially [[soap operas]], feature corner shops or village shops as cornerstones for community gatherings and happenings. A prominent example is the village shop in [[Ambridge (The Archers)|Ambridge]], the fictional village in the [[BBC Radio 4]] series, ''[[The Archers]]'', (1950–present). The [[ITV1]] soap opera ''[[Coronation Street]]'' (1960–present) has featured a corner shop since the first episode; originally owned by [[List_of_Coronation_Street_characters_(1960)#Florrie_Lindley|Florrie Lindley]], it was later acquired by [[Alf Roberts]] the grocer, and after his death in the late-1990s was bought by [[Dev Alahan]], reflecting this common change in British culture to Asian shopkeepers. The dying days and changing culture of the traditional British grocer were explored to great effect in the [[BBC]] TV comedy series ''[[Open All Hours]]'' (1976–1985), set in the real suburb of [[Balby]] in [[Doncaster]]; the shop front used for the street scenes in the series does actually exist in the area and is now a hairdressing salon. The [[BBC Scotland]] comedy series ''[[Still Game]]'' has a corner shop as a recurring location where characters can meet and gossip; the actor who plays its owner, Navid Harrid ([[Sanjeev Kohli]]), plays a similar role as Bangaram in the Radio 4 comedy series ''[[Fags, Mags and Bags]]'' which is set entirely in Ramesh's shop.

The band [[Cornershop (band)|Cornershop]] in part base their image on the perception that many convenience shops are now owned by British Asian people. In terms of British popular culture, these media representations give some idea of the importance attached to local shops in the national psyche and as a mainstay of community life.

===United States===
[[File:Group of men standing in front of Karch & Heberer store at Fairplay in the late 1800s - DPLA - 450f67cd5cf1861d1c246320ca2ee32a (cropped).jpg|alt=Karch & Harper General Store in Fairplay, Colorado, late 1800s|thumb|350px|left|Karch & Heberer General Store in [[Fairplay, Colorado]], late 1800s]]
[[File:Drawing of a country store by Marguerite Martyn.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Fanciful drawing by [[Marguerite Martyn]] in the ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]'' of October 21, 1906, headed "Passing of the Country Store in the [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]"]]

{{Further| Rural American history #Southern country store}}
General stores and itinerant peddlers dominated in rural America until the coming of the automobile after 1910.  Farmers and ranchers depended on general stores that had a limited stock and slow turnover; they made enough profit to stay in operation by selling at high prices. Often farmers would barter butter, cheese, eggs, vegetables or other foods which the merchant would resell. Prices were not marked on each item; instead the customer negotiated a price. Men did most of the shopping, since the main criterion was credit rather than quality of goods. Indeed, most customers shopped on credit, paying later when crops or cattle were sold; the owner's ability to judge credit worthiness was vital to his success. The store was often a gathering point for local men to chat, pass around the weekly newspaper, and talk politics.<ref>Lewis E. Atherton, ''The Frontier Merchant in Mid-America'' (University of Missouri Press, 1971).</ref>

In the South, the general store was especially important after the Civil War, as the merchant was one of the few sources of credit available until the cash crops (usually cotton or tobacco) came in.  By 1878, for example, there were 1,468 local merchants in Alabama, or 12 for every 10,000 people.<ref>Louis Kyriakoudes, "The Rise of Merchants and Market Towns in Reconstruction-Era Alabama." ''Alabama Review'' 49 (1996): 83-107. p.99 </ref>  There were few towns and very few cities, so rural general stores and itinerant peddlers were the main sources of supply.<ref> The best source is Thomas C. Clark, ''Pills Petticoats and Plows: The Southern Country Store'' (1944) [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.156316/page/n1/mode/1up online]; also see [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/abs/merchandising-pills-petticoats-and-plows-the-southern-country-store-by-thomas-d-clark-indianapolis-the-bobbsmerrill-company-pp-359-350/4CBFE2182121FCCC0C76036766024DCC online review of this book].</ref><ref>Jacqueline P. Bull, "The General Merchant in the Economic History of the New South." ''Journal of Southern History'' 18.1 (1952): 37-59. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2954791 in JSTOR]</ref><ref>Glenn N. Sisk, "Rural Merchandising in the Alabama Black Belt, 1875–1917." ''Journal of Farm Economics'' 37.4 (1955): 705-715.</ref><ref>Roger Ransom, and Richard Sutch. "Credit merchandising in the post-emancipation south: Structure, conduct, and performance." ''Explorations in Economic History'' 16.1 (1979): 64-89; heavily statistical [http://www.colorado.edu/ibs/EB/alston/econ8534/SectionV/Ransom_and_Sutch,_Credit_Merchandising_in_the_Post-Emancipation_South.pdf online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923230827/http://www.colorado.edu/ibs/EB/alston/econ8534/SectionV/Ransom_and_Sutch,_Credit_Merchandising_in_the_Post-Emancipation_South.pdf|date=2015-09-23}}</ref>

During the first half of the 20th century, general stores were displaced in many areas of the United States by many different types of specialized retailers in trading towns and small cities. However, from the 1960s to the present, many small specialized retailers have in turn been crushed by the so-called "[[category killer]]s", which are "big-box" [[wholesale]]-type retailers large enough to carry the majority of best-selling goods in a specific category, like sporting goods or office supplies. [[Gray's General Store]] of Adamsville, Rhode Island is reputed to be the oldest continually operating general store in the United States until its temporary closure in 2012.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|date=July 31, 2012|title=Rhode Island general store closes after 224 years of operation|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/rhode-island-general-store-closes-after-224-years-of-operation/1243307/|access-date=2021-05-18|website=Tampa Bay Times|publisher=Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> It subsequently reopened in the summer of 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gray's General Store in Adamsville re-opens|url=https://www.eastbayri.com/stories/grays-general-store-in-adamsville-re-opens,6188|access-date=2022-12-14|website=EastBayRI.com|date=17 July 2013|language=en}}</ref>

However, the convenience inherent in the general store has been revived in the form of the modern [[convenience store]]. A few [[variety store]]s draw upon the concept of having a broad variety of goods servicing small communities where big-box retailers are absent; [[Dollar General]] stores, in particular, draws its name from both the "dollar store" concept of having items at a fixed price point and the general store.

====List of general stores====
This is a select list of historical general stores in the United States, listed in alphabetical order.
{{Columns-list|
* [[A. D. Strickland Store]] (c.1878–1972), [[Dalton, Georgia|Dalton]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=A. D. Strickland Store|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/05000405|website=NPGallery Digital Asset Management System, [[National Park Service]], [[U.S. Department of the Interior]]}}</ref>
*[[Barker General Store]] (c. 1847–?), [[Edinburg, New York|Beecher Hollow]], [[Saratoga County, New York|Saratoga County]], [[New York (state)|New York]]<ref name="nrhpinv_ny">{{cite web|author=Raymond W. Smith|date=January 2002|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: Barker General Store|url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=7817|publisher=[[New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation]]|accessdate=2010-12-12|archive-date=2012-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017204635/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=7817|url-status=dead}} ''See also:'' {{cite web|title=Accompanying seven photos|url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=7824|access-date=2021-05-18|archive-date=2012-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017204654/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=7824|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Etienne J. Caire|E. J. Caire Store]] (1860–mid-1970s), [[Edgard, Louisiana|Edgard]], [[Louisiana]]
* [[Felt Cobblestone General Store]] (1835–?), [[Victor, New York|Victor]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
* [[F. H. Gillingham & Sons]] (1886–Present), [[Woodstock, Vermont]]
* [[Good Hart General Store]] (1934-Present), [[Good Hart, Michigan]]
* [[Gray's General Store]] (1788–2012), [[Adamsville, Rhode Island]]<ref name=":1" />
* [[Harkin's General Store]] (1867–1901), [[West Newton, Minnesota|West Newton]], [[Minnesota]]
* [[Hussey's General Store]] (1923–1954), [[Windsor, Maine|Windsor]], [[Maine]]
* [[Jones Store]], [[Sierra National Forest]], [[California]]
* [[Jorgensen's General Store]], [[Grant-Valkaria, Florida|Grant-Valkaria]], [[Florida]]
* [[Lost River General Store]] (1898–?), [[Lost River, West Virginia|Lost River]], [[Hardy County, West Virginia]]
* [[Manion's General Store]] (before 1908–1970s), [[Liberty (town), New York|Ferndale]], [[Sullivan County, New York]]
* [[Mast General Store]] (1887–?), [[Valle Crucis, North Carolina]]
* [[McClellan's General Store]], [[New London, Iowa]]
* [[Mikulich General Store]], [[Traunik, Michigan]]
* [[Ruddell General Store]], [[Glenville, West Virginia]]
* [[Simons General Store]], [[Ancram, New York]]
* [[Saint James General Store]], [[Saint James, New York]]
* [[Tioga Centre General Store]], [[Tioga, New York]]
* [[Vorous General Store]], [[Fish Creek, Wisconsin]]
* [[Welty's General Store]], [[Dubois, Wyoming]]
}}
<gallery class="center" mode="packed" widths="124" heights="124" caption="United States general stores">
File:Oldwick General Store.JPG|The Oldwick General Store in [[Tewksbury Township, New Jersey]]
File:Grays General Store in Little Compton Rhode Island.jpg|The [[Grays General Store]] (1788) in [[Adamsville, Rhode Island]]
File:General store, Deaf Smith County Museum, Hereford, TX IMG 4858.JPG|General store exhibit at the Deaf Smith County Historical Museum in [[Hereford, Texas|Hereford]], [[Texas]]
File:Country Store- interior, Ewen Avenue, Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx (NYPL b13668355-482797).jpg|Country Store, [[Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx]], early 20th century 
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Department store]]
* [[Hyper market]]
* [[Retail#Types of retail outlets|Types of retail outlets]]
* [[Super market]]
* [[Super store]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* Dannhaeuser, Norbert. "The role of the neighborhood store in developing economies: the case of Dagupan City, Philippines." ''Journal of Developing Areas'' (1980): 157–174. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/4190748 in JSTOR]
* English, Linda. ''By All Accounts: General Stores and Community Life in Texas and Indian Territory''. ([[University of Oklahoma Press]], 2013)
* Kaynak, Erdener, and S. Tamer Cavusgil. "The evolution of food retailing systems: contrasting the experience of developed and developing countries." ''Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science'' (1982) 10#3 pp: 249–268.
* Lejoyeux, Michel, et al. "Prevalence of compulsive buying among customers of a Parisian general store." ''Comprehensive Psychiatry'' (2007) 48#1 pp: 42–46.
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[[Category:Retail formats]]
[[Category:Rural economics]]