Smaller area shops are reclaiming their hold on retail business as customers ration their gas tanks and look for nearby shopping options.
According to excerpts from the article:
As many large retailers struggle with slipping sales during an economic downturn and gas around $4 a gallon, some rural shops have gotten a boost from customers staying close to home.
Store owners in more rural tri-county areas have noticed some new faces, too, as high fuel prices make customers think twice before driving to shop in Lansing, East Lansing or other urban areas that are farther away.
"Because of the cost of gas, they're thinking now that, 'OK, I may save a couple of dollars, but I'm spending a lot more than that in fuel costs.' So, they are making the decision to stay closer to home," said Jim Cicorelli, owner of Frank's Food Mart stores in Charlotte and Potterville.
Read the entire article here.
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