Cars are a major part of city life and have affected the way we shop. According to research done by a USU graduate student in 1969, the transition to a car-centered world impacted the very structure of cities. People could travel farther and faster by using cars. Cities came to be surrounded by sprawling suburbs, as the distance became no obstacle. Research revealed that the lack of sufficient parking and roads eventually leads to a decline of business for stores, as vehicle users seek other shopping locations that can accommodate their traffic.[34]  

Although cars are a great time-saving convenience, the regular connection to neighbors gained from walking down the sidewalk has been largely lost; for, “while [cars] promoted mobility and individualism, [they] have undermined those very structures that nurtured community and encouraged informal relationships.” Driving in an isolated bubble that arrived exactly at the destination bypassed this aspect of community building.[35] The adoption of cars altered the very ways a community formed and kept up connections.  

This is another factor that points to the decline of local corner markets and the rise of the big box stores, as the latter could provide the parking and could justify the improvement of roads and traffic.  

The opening of the Cache Valley Mall deserves particular note, as it marked a turning point for shopping within Cache Valley. The first building proposal in 1972 was initially rejected by the city council, citing fears of large foreign markets entering the valley and overwhelming local businesses. The next year, however, proprietors of the mall successfully sued the city council over the rejected proposal, and construction of the mall began in 1974.[36]  When the mall opened in 1976, it brought a three-screen movie theater and major chain businesses such as ZCMI, First Security Bank, and JC Penney.[37] Several major grocery store chains would also come to Logan in the following few years.[38] 

“Two stores side by side have, under the free enterprise system, usually more than twice the business of a single store.”

—Russell F. Fjeldsted[39] 

Logan’s first mall brought classy new options to Logan residents. Things that did not use to be available were now right at the center of town with enough parking to match the crowd. The mall with many stores, created a new “main street” effect, creating again that cumulative shopper pull in the age of cars.  

Slowly, however, the cultural tides would shift, and in the late 2000s a community survey reported that over 70% of respondents did not want any more chain stores in Cache Valley.[40]