I Buy Local, But Don't Force Others To Do So

This is another post from me for the Downsize DC Foundation. Excerpt:

I know an elderly couple who retired to a village where they have numerous friends. It is relatively close to immediate and extended family. But the grocery store in town closed. The closest one is now a 15-minute drive each way. If a can of tomato soup is needed in a recipe, suddenly dinner preparation is an ordeal. They said they would never have moved to that town if it didn't have a grocery store.

There is a reason the local grocer went belly-up. Most residents already commute to other nearby towns and cities. The supermarkets there are able to get better deals from wholesalers and pass those lower prices on to customers. That makes solid "economic" sense in terms of monetary savings. However, even these residents lose the convenience of having the store there for last-minute purchases.