Most communities have a convenient small format retail store in their midst and often at their heart. Convenience stores come in all shapes and sizes and have a variety of names, including ‘local grocer’, ‘mom-and-pop store’, ‘the corner shop’ and ‘the shop on the local petrol/gas station forecourt’.
Although, these days, ‘convenience retail’ sometimes takes the form of franchised outlets under big brand names like 7-Eleven, Carrefour or SPAR, the majority of stores are independents trading from a single location. In the United Kingdom, for example, almost three-quarters of convenience stores (71%) trade as independent retailers, according to The...