The Growing Importance of the Small-Town Store

Abstract

More than 60 million people resided in rural areas in 1950, an increase of over 5 million since 1940.1 Small-town retailers operated approximately one third of the nation's retail establishments in 1939 and 1948. In the latter year, they reported a volume of more than $24 billion -an increase of $17 billion over 1939. Between these two censuses of business years, their share of the retail trade-for the entire nation-increased. Sales by country merchants grew faster than they did for retailers in urban areas. These trends occurred in spite of the fact that there was a decline of 3 per cent in the number of small-town retailers. These