Really rural locations of chains

[Sagwaboi]

I once read about a Kay-Bee Toys that was in the middle of nowhere somewhere in New England in a shack-like building. Anybody know of any other major chains which had locations like that (and does anybody know of that KB?)?

[TheFugitive]

Ames went into a LOT of rural locations.   When I was in Hillsdale, Michigan we
were the only general merchandise department store within a 35 mile radius.  They
had a store in Houghton Lake, which is a very remote location in north-central lower
Michigan.   Caro, Cedar Springs.  All locations with not much else around them.

[BillyGr]

Ames went into a LOT of rural locations.   When I was in Hillsdale, Michigan we
were the only general merchandise department store within a 35 mile radius.  They
had a store in Houghton Lake, which is a very remote location in north-central lower
Michigan.   Caro, Cedar Springs.  All locations with not much else around them.

Same would apply with quite a few of their stores in the northern parts of NY State, in towns that have little (if anything, other than perhaps a small supermarket or drug store) else available.

Some of those areas still have vacant buildings today (a few have been reused by other stores like a Dollar General/Family Dollar, or at least part of them) and those in the area now must travel an hour (and probably more in some spots) to get to stores carrying similar items.

Always seemed like, if they could have gotten rid of some older expenses from buying out other chains and many of their stores where there was more competition, the chain could have survived in a smaller format by focusing on these otherwise underserved (or unserved) areas, but that didn't work out.

[Sagwaboi]

And does anybody know where that rural Kay-Bee someone was once talking about was?

[Bdubs]

Ames went into a LOT of rural locations.   When I was in Hillsdale, Michigan we
were the only general merchandise department store within a 35 mile radius.  They
had a store in Houghton Lake, which is a very remote location in north-central lower
Michigan.   Caro, Cedar Springs.  All locations with not much else around them.

Reminds me of the Ames in Griswold, CT. It was right off the interstate , but there wasn’t a big box or any retail store for that matter, for miles. Now there’s a huge shopping center 1 exit down, but that was all developed long after Ames had closed.

[Retail Regents]

Palatine Bridge, NY had one. The left side became Big Lots in November 2012.