Do not take local grocery stores for granted The news from Chapman, Kansas, should give small towns like Council Grove, Herington and Alta Vista reason to pause.
Chapman is a town many in this area know well. Some have relatives there. Others have traveled there for ball games. Many have likely stopped at Chapman Food Mart, a locally owned grocery store that has served its community much like Ray’s Apple Market serves Council Grove.
Chapman’s population is estimated at 1,383 this year. Its high school, serving grades 9-12, has 383 students and draws from a larger area of elementary schools that feed into it. In that way, Chapman is similar to Council Grove, a community of about 2,100 people that serves as a hub for surrounding rural families.
That is why the announcement from Chapman Food Mart owners Doug and Connie Thompson feels close to home.
In a message to customers and the Chapman community, the Thompsons announced they have made the difficult decision to close the grocery store Sept. 1, 2026. They thanked customers for their support over the years and said it had become increasingly challenging to compete with larger retailers.
Their message was gracious, but the reality behind it is sobering. Small-town grocery stores operate in a tough business. Margins are tight. Supply chains are difficult. Prices are hard to match against large national chains, big-box stores and online retailers.
Council Grove is fortunate to still have Ray’s Apple Market.
A local grocery store is more than a place to buy groceries. It provides jobs, pays local taxes, serves residents who cannot easily drive to another town and gives families a dependable place to shop close to home.
Ray’s Apple Market also supports Council Grove in ways national chains and online retailers do not. The Floersch family and Ray’s staff support local charities, student efforts, school activities and community causes. Those contributions matter.
It is easy to assume a grocery store will always be there because it has always been there. Chapman’s announcement is a reminder that this is not guaranteed.
Shopping locally is not just a slogan. In communities like Council Grove, it is a choice that helps determine what services remain available in the future. The same is true in Herington and Alta Vista. Barnes Heartland Foods and Alta Vista Mercantile also represent something many small communities no longer have: a local grocery option. In much of the Republican’s service area, residents now rely on a national chain outlet, such as Dollar General, or an expanded gas station for basic goods. That makes the remaining grocery stores in Council Grove, Herington and Alta Vista even more important to protect.
Ray’s Apple Market is an asset to Council Grove, just as Barnes Heartland Foods and Alta Vista Mercantile are assets to their communities. Supporting these stores now is one way to help make sure more area towns do not someday receive the same kind of difficult announcement Chapman received this week.