I'm actually in the grocery business and know the economics of opening stores - you can open a store for practically nothing: you start as a convenience store s

I'm actually in the grocery business and know the economics of opening stores - you can open a store for practically nothing: you start as a convenience store selling staples like toilet paper, long shelf life foods, local produce and whatever the owner makes themselves (ethnic food, apple pies, etc). Then, you slowly add SKUs as you grow. The rich call this a "food desert," urbanites call this the bodega or corner korean market and europeans have zillions of these. I actually love shopping in these places - terrific & patient service and amazing finds if you're patient. The food distribution business is beautiful that way - economies of scale are very gentle. It's the exact opposite of automobiles and infrastructure software. p.s. amazon+UPS is another great stopgap for these communities, and surprisingly efficient if they setup a DC (distribution center) somewhere a few hrs away with more limited selection. It's the 2016 equivalent of the milkman.