>Dollar General was the town’s only national chain, and the only place — besides a gas station convenience store — that sold frozen food, snacks and canned goods. “It’s left a hole in our town,” said Ashley Steinbeck, Auxvasse’s mayor. “It was such a convenience for everyone, especially for elderly folks who can’t get around really well.”

Why not start your own shop then? Previous Dollar General presence already confirmed market need and profitability. Is this learned helplessness?

Maybe it was only able to be profitable because of economies of scale.