General stores struggle as costs and online competition grows

Regional general store owners say they are unsure if a new generation will want to take on the businesses as they struggle with increasing costs and competition. "The freight and the price of petrol doubles or triples the cost of everything," Mrs Copelin said. "I think we have a bit of a perfect storm here where we're experiencing a slowdown in the economy at the same time we're experiencing inflationary pressures on all the costs," he said. "I think it's a unique piece of Australian history, in a way, to have these old corner stores and it would be a real shame to see them go," she said. He said any government investment into the regions would provide an "exceptionally good return on the investment" and highlighted the need for more help to train regional workers.