That's not what happened here...they were all small regional chains and they just weren't doing that well.The problem with the "local" grocery store is that when the owner is ready to retire nine times out of ten there is no one who wants to take ownership of the grocery store. Happened to the local grocery store back home, all five boys went to college and/or the military, by the time pops was ready to retire the boys were all established with careers, family, and were all either in their 40's or 50's. None of the employees were interested in taking over the grocery store. Mind you the owner didn't get ownership of the store until his dad, who was a butcher, retired at the ripe old age of 95+, the owner was already in his late 60's. The same thing is happening to farms across the US.
The first one that closed was in a building that was owned by a local man whose father had a grocery store in the building for years. He retired and rented the space to the chain store. The son attempted to put an indepently owned grocery back in that space when the chain closed but only lasted a few months.
The second was owned by a mid forties guy who'd worked at the store for years and bought the business when the previous owner retired. He lasted about five years or so before he gave up too and just liquidated the stock since he didn't own the building and got a good job somewhere else while he was still young enough to have another career.
The third and last finally gave up a few years after they changed our WM from a regular one to a super center. The writing was on the wall. I've noticed none of the small towns can support a larger grocery store once a super center comes in. A neighboring small town has a store from the same chain we had and only a regular WM...they seem to do ok. They have a few items I can't get at WM and I always go to the store in that town because their stock is always fresh as opposed to a closer town that has a store from the same chain and also a super center. Their shelf stable stock seems to often be old when I buy it...they aren't selling enough to keep it rotated.
I can't think of a single independently owned grocery store anywhere near me...sadly enough.