"grocery shopping" and "store" are 2 different things. here in the mountains, very few small towns have a grocery store; if they have anything its a Dollar General wich isnt much better than a gas station for buying food.
though maybe when i think small town, you think large town. i grew up 7 miles from the nearest town with a population of 3K, now i live in a town with 40K.
look for a college town where the local college's enrollment is shrinking. i live in the opposite end of that spectrum and rent/real-estate prices are getting ridiculous. (edited)