A retail chain goes bankrupt. Hundreds of stores close.
The town loses its only general store. The building sits empty. The sign comes down.
Most people see a tragedy.
Bomgaars sees a shopping list.
That is not cynical. It is one of the most underrated growth strategies in American retail, and a family company out of northwest Iowa has been running it for decades.
While other chains fight for corners in growing suburbs, Bomgaars quietly moves into the towns everybody else walked away from.
Empty building. Existing customers. Zero competition.
It sounds too easy. It is not easy at all. But it is very, very smart.
Here is how it works, and why it has something to teach you about buying anything at a discount.