PROFILE
For much of the 20th century, consumers bought their goods and services from local manufacturers and independent businesses. Over time, globalization and the inevitable outcome of a capitalist economy saw large corporations and chains replace everything from local grocery and hardware stores to corner druggists and stationers. Long before the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1994, the era of the mom-and-pop shop had largely faded.
ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL IDZERDA