The General Store. These general stores, mercantile's, or emporiums, served rural populations of small towns and villages, and the farmers and ranchers in the surrounding areas. They offered a place where people could find food and necessities that would have otherwise been difficult to obtain.

A grocer is a shopkeeper who sells foods such as flour, sugar, and tinned foods. A grocer or a grocer's is a shop where foods such as flour, sugar, and tinned foods are sold.

In the United Kingdom, terms in common usage include "supermarket" (for larger grocery stores), "corner shop", "convenience shop", or "grocery" (meaning a grocery shop) for smaller stores.

Then, on September 11, 1916, in Memphis, he opened the first supermarket in the world, Piggly Wiggly. In his new supermarket, the customer no longer had to give a list to a clerk but would pick their own items. Like today, a customer would get a basket and pick from different items they wanted.