‘Locals love us’: country Australia’s general stores come into their own amid Covid

Small town residents couldn't do without them, especially now, because you don't get this service anywhere else'

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The general store was the focal point of a country town - the hub. The place you went to grab a few essentials, only to leave 20 minutes later having run into half of the town's population.

A trip there was a social outing but not a quick one.