The closure of a grocery store can do more than change where people shop. In some communities, it can upend daily routines and strain access to basic necessities.
In Rantoul, Illinois, the imminent closure of Price Cutter means many people on the east side of town are set to lose easy access to groceries.
Here's what to know
According to local news outlet WCIA, Price Cutter has announced it will be closing its Rantoul store. That will leave Walmart as the village's only remaining big-box grocery option. The change is expected to force east-side residents to travel farther for regular food shopping.
"One grocery store can't serve all the needs of Rantoul," said Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer, per WCIA.
Mayor Sam Hall said efforts to bring more grocery options to the village were already in motion before Price Cutter announced it was leaving. He said transportation is a major obstacle for some residents.
"There are people in that area of Rantoul that need groceries and rely on [Price Cutter] because they can't get across town," Hall told the local outlet.
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More background
Village leaders said the problem had been building for some time. But attracting a new grocery store to the area has not been easy.
Eisenhauer said some of the companies the village had previously contacted did not believe Rantoul needed another store. With Price Cutter now leaving, that assessment could change.
There is also a real estate challenge. Eisenhauer said the village does not currently have existing buildings properly sized for a grocery operator.
What's being done?
Officials said the coming closure of Price Cutter has added urgency to the village's plans to address its food desert. Efforts will likely involve continuing talks with other grocery companies to make the growing demand clear while also identifying a site that better fits what retailers are seeking.
Village leaders say they are focused on preventing any area of town from losing practical access to groceries.
"We don't want a … food desert in any area of town, and so we're going to work diligently to fill that gap," Hall told WCIA.
Where can I learn more?
If you want to explore related issues affecting this area, you might want to read these stories:
• In Des Plaines, residents are fighting a 90,000-square-foot warehouse they fear will change neighborhood land use.
• Across many communities, salvage grocery stores are stretching food budgets with discounted surplus staples.
• Growing herbs, fruits, and vegetables at home could also help improve food access and overall well-being while cutting household costs.
As these stories help to show, communities are exploring more than one path to improving food access.
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