General Store
A general store, general merchandise store, general dealer or village shop is a
rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. 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 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.
