Frank Woolworth opened the first Woolworth’s Great Five Cent Store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1879 to gather shoppers who historically visited a number of smaller, local merchants to a store that offered their goods all in one place. These five-and-ten or dimestores sold general merchandise– dry goods, clothing, toys, hardware, and sometimes a soda fountain—all in one place. This began a mercantilism shift characterized by retailers buying large quantities and offered to the public at discounted, five- and ten-cent price points (which became their common name). These stores were forerunners, and them companion Main Street neighbors to rural grocers.

As the first Wal-Marts, Kmarts, and Target stores (commonly coined as Big Box stores) opened in the 1960s, five and dimes gradually disappeared. Yet, many would argue the reemergence of Dollar Stores in the last couple of decades is a partial return to this model. At the same time, rural development researchers noted that as Big Box stores shifted into mainline grocery stores, it influenced how food was sold in many rural areas. The grocery landscape continues to be a focus of food researchers concerned about the impacts on competition, prices and market access.

Food Price Inflation Hits Main Street

There have been several earlier Forbes pieces that tracked how inflation soared throughout the pandemic and cooled after 2022 but still highlight that current inflation persists above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target even now. Food and energy tend to be the most visible and part of public discourse because they are the frequent and common purchases made by a typical American. Across urban and rural areas, the price of a basic grocery basket featuring common items like eggs, milk and ground beef has far outpaced inflation—a 55.6% jump since 2020. Americans are responding in a number of ways to these price increases, including a shift back to Big Box stores, eating out less and trafficking an increasing number of Dollar Stores (the modern day version of five and dimes with a higher price point). Yet, rural grocers can play a pivotal role as some of the price increases are driven by international tariffs and the energy costs needed to transport foods, since rural grocers can leverage their connections to more localized food supply chains.

Yet, this may be one place where Main Street looks to Washington DC for solutions to address food insecurity.

A Safety Net for Rural Kitchen Tables

Rural America is full of opportunities, but even so, its citizens continue to face significant and persistent challenges. The Food Research and Action Center shares that food insecurity affects 12.2% of the US population but climbs to 15.4% for rural households. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the most effective tools the U.S. has to reduce hunger and support households with low incomes. One in seven rural households relies on SNAP, and the National Grocers Association highlighted the role of grocers in delivering those benefits to all communities in a recent report.

But, the support of food security policies makes them susceptible to changes in policy. A recent Ag Economics policy report explored how One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) makes the largest changes to SNAP in over a decade. Over 22 million US households will be affected and one-fourth of them will lose at least $25 in monthly SNAP benefits, raising concerns about food security for many Americans. Most changes are driven by work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents and shifts in cost-sharing between federal and state governments.

Estimated share of SNAP households facing new work requirements

This map shows that some of our most rural states face the greatest threat of losing the SNAP support their citizens rely on to cover some of their grocery bill.

Building Community Among Rural Grocers

A small, and growing, community of rural grocers are operating across America, and they collaborate to share their successes and best practices. This year the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit , widely considered the premier gathering for independent grocers and rural food access partners, met this May in North Dakota, with support from University of Minnesota Extension, Kansas State’s Rural Grocery Initiative and other partners. This year’s summit addresses several highlighted in this article (food security, competition) and previous stories I have shared about rural connectivity .

Cheyenne Irlbeck with the Grygla General store is a typical participant. With the next closest grocery store 40 miles away, in an area with a population less than 200 people, the story provides Grygla’s fewer than 200 citizens with food, supplies and a community connection since 1910. Formerly operating under the umbrella of a local farmer’s cooperative, the store is now owned and operated by Irlbeck, a long time employee.

Beyond the Summit, there are number of programs to support rural grocers in strengthening their market and addressing social issues, from a the Healthy Food Finance Initiative that supports supply chain projects in communities that serve the food insecure to Minnesota Department of Agriculture grants that fund equipment upgrades to improve food quality and energy efficiency. Irlbeck credits securing some of the Minnesota program’s funds as a catalyst that led her to explore other opportunities to increase foot traffic and sales.