History Main / OnlyShopInTown

* ''VideoGameLegoIsland'': The titular island has a Pizzeria owned by Mama and Papa Brickolini that is beloved by the island's residents, even though they are aware that it's the only restaurant on the island. Likewise, the island has only one gas station that also serves as the only garage for vehicle maintenance and repairs.

Said establishment is usually a small shop with a modest inventory (rather than a big suburban department store) which nevertheless has a monopoly. In other words, it's like a MegaCorp, only scaled down to match the setting it's in. Note that this setting need not be an actual, literal "town" for this trope to be in effect: whether the shop is in a forest, a city or a Moon station, as long as there are no others nearby, it qualifies.

%%* Trading posts in remote jungles and such qualify by definition. - Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
%%** J.H. Slick's trading post in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Jumanji}}'' [[TheAnimatedSeries animated series]].
%%** L Renard Dumont's trading post in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan''.

*** Issue #13 adventure "The Moor-Tomb Map". The only shop in the town of Moorwall is the general store that is part of the Much More Ale Inn. It sells some of the grear needed by adventurers at a mark-up of 40-60% above standard prices.

** ''Adventures in Arkham County'', adventure "The Dark Woods". The small village of Dunwich, Massachusetts has only one shop: Osborn's General Store, which is housed in an old church.

* The traditional "only shop in town" trope only appeared in the first ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' and it was a commodity at that. Most of the time you brought your stuff from an unnamed "tight-lipped merchant" that showed up in places. ''Covenant'' got rid of shops altogether and replaced them with the [[IntrepidMerchant Magimel]] [[ThoseTwoGuys Brothers]] who appeared in every location, including dungeons, regardless of anything and too much to [[OnlySaneMan Yuri]]'s disbelief. Only Gerard returned in ''From the New World'' and along with his boyfriend Bunghen, took pretty much the same role.

* Free Country, USA in ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' has Bubs' Concession Stand. This is a small structure [[WeSellEverything where one can buy just about anything]]. Weirdly, no currency ever seems to actually change hands, even when characters "shop" there. Not only does Bubs run the only shop in the HR universe, he apparently personally runs ''every single form of enterprise'', from the bar in Club Technochocolate to Strong Bad's Internet Service Provider.

* ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'' has a rather major aversion: there is a shop for items, another for spells and another for general items, in different buildings.
* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has an interesting version, where a player on a multiplayer server will often set up a place to barter items with other players (note that this is not specifically provided for by the gameplay). Most servers only have one, because when the niche is filled no one will found another.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Please add context to the entries before uncommenting or re-adding them.

* It is played straight in the [[AnimatedAdaptation anime]] ''Anime/DeltoraQuest'' in an episode where we get Tom's Shop where he literally sells everything they need. Assuming they actually speak for the item. (No {{MacGuffin}}s though). The shop is situated in the middle of nowhere, making it this trope.
-->"''If you do not ask, you do not get. Is that your motto, young sir? Well it is mine too.''"\\
-- '''Tom'''

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, pretty much every time anyone in New York needs a criminal lawyer for anything, they'll call in [[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} Nelson and Murdock]], unless the writer feels like being different, in which case they may go for [[ComicBook/SheHulk Jennifer Walters]].

* In most of the ''{{Film/Tremors}}'' movies, Perfection, Nevada is served by Walter Chang's Market.

* In ''Literature/TheGreatBrain'' books everyone goes to the ZCMI Store, the only general merchandise store in town. Abie Glassman decides to open a permanent store, retiring his [[MobileKiosk traveling wagon]], but everyone is used to going to ZCMI for everything so nobody patronizes his store. He starves to death.

* Oleson's Mercantile is the only store in Walnut Grove in ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie''.
* ''Series/SesameStreet'''s only shop is Hooper's Store, which was run by Mr. Hooper [[TearJerker until he died]].
* ''{{Series/Balamory}}'': The titular village has one: Suzie Sweet and Penny Pocket run its only shop. To be fair, this is a village with about ten adult inhabitants, with one building each.
* Drucker's Grocery Store is the only store in Hooterville, yet it services ''two'' shows, ''Series/GreenAcres'' and ''Series/PetticoatJunction''.

* In ''Series/{{Mash}}'', BJ's father-in-law lives in Quapaw, Oklahoma, a town Hawkeye sarcastically describes as:
-->'''Hawkeye''': A gas station, a grocery store, and a fashionable restaurant called "Eats".
* On ''Series/SchittsCreek'' the only shop in town, The Schitt's Creek General Store, closes to David's dismay. He eventually takes a lease out on the property and opens Rose Apothecary, which elegantly rebrands local products and crafts.
-->'''David''': I can't tell what's more tragic, the fact that the only store in town is closing or that they decided to display the fungal cream next to the cereal boxes.
-->'''Stevie''': That's actually really convenient because I forgot to have breakfast and I'm running low on fungal cream.
* ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'': Humphrey's Everything Store appears to be the only shop in Possum Lake.
* ''Series/BostonLegal'' to the point where they occasionally represented both sides in a case. For the record, this is major [[ArtisticLicenseLaw artistic license]]: After "[[StealingFromTheTill Touch Your Client's Money and You're Done]]," "You Can't Represent Opposite Sides of the Same Case" is probably the biggest single rule in legal ethics.
* ''Series/Kingdom2007'': Justified in that Market Shipborough is a rather small town; there's probably another law firm in town, but just the one. Or maybe two. But no more.

** In the pilot episode Admiral Brovo makes a suggestion that there wouldn't have been a perceived need to send HQ people out to the USS Seahawk if the missing RIO had been a male for political purposes.

* Downplayed some in ''Series/HillStreetBlues'', but Joyce Davenport is the only Public Defender at Hill Street Station who gets to be more than a one-shot character. Presumably this is down to the LawOfConservationOfDetail, as she's already a main character thanks to being Captain Furillo's lover.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''

** Module I6 ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}''. Bildrath's Mercantile is the only general store, not only in the village of Barovia but in the entire domain. The store's owner charges 10 times normal prices and refuses to bargain. As he says, "If you want it badly enough, you'll pay for it - because you certainly won't be taking your business elsewhere."

** 2nd Edition TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms campaign setting

* ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu''
** ''The Asylum and Other Tales'', adventure "Black Devil Mountain". The town of Indian River only has one general store. When the owner found out that the recently arrived {{NPC}} Albert Goddard was living on Black Devil Mountain, he refused to sell anything to him and Goddard had to travel seven miles away to the town of Addison for supplies.
** ''Mansions of Madness'', adventure "The Plantation". The Gist general store is the only one in the area. If the {{PC}}s want to buy supplies, they'll have to go there.
** ''The Fungi from Yuggoth'' adventure "Mountains of the Moon". The village of Huancucho in the Andes mountains of Peru has only one place to buy things: a small trading post that carries tools, canned food, and other items.
** ''Shadows of Yog-Sothoth'' adventure "The Coven of Cannich". The only store in the small Scottish town of Cannich is owned by Jamie [=MacNab=].
** Supplement ''Terror Australis'', adventure "Pride of Yirrimburra". The small Australian town of Yirrimburra has only one general store, the source of manufactured goods and luxuries.
** ''Magazine/TheUnspeakableOath'' magazine
*** Issue #8/9, adventure "Dark Harvest". The only store in the town of Oak Valley, Iowa is Harv's General Store. Unfortunately for the investigators, the owner of the store is a member of the cult that infests the town.
*** Issue #19, adventure "The Brick Kiln". The village of Trevor Major only has one shop, a general store run by Mrs. Alderson.

* ''Chivalry & Sorcery'' adventure ''Stormwatch''. The town of Swift has only one store, a trading post that sells most of the supplies available in the game.
* ''TabletopGames/LejendaryAdventures'', introductory adventure "Moon Slaves". The town of Simton has only one general store, which belongs to Sylvester Mulhaven.
* ''It Came from the Late, Late Show II''
** Adventure "Showdown at Dry Gulch Station". The town of Dry Gulch Station only has one store, the General Store owned by the BigBad John Taylor. Customers can buy any product available in the Wild West, including weapons and explosives.
** Adventure "Tyrannosaurus Tex". The town of Bootheel only has a General Store owned by Howard Parrish.
* GDW's ''TabletopGame/DarkConspiracy'' adventure ''Hellsgate''. The village of Piste has only one shop: the general store and gas station owned by Henry Ruiz. The PlayerCharacters can buy most general supplies they need there, including ammunition.

* Quite common in the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series, as the post-apocalyptic world rarely allows for villages and towns large enough to have more than one shop. While they occasionally include a bar and/or a restaurant, Novac in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has nothing but a general store and a covered communal eating area with no vendor.

* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Free Country, USA in ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' has Bubs' Concession Stand. This is a small structure [[WeSellEverything where one can buy just about anything]]. Weirdly, no currency ever seems to actually change hands, even when characters "shop" there.
** Not only does Bubs run the only shop in the HR universe, he apparently personally runs ''every single form of enterprise'', from the bar in Club Technochocolate to Strong Bad's Internet Service Provider.

* The [[WesternAnimation/NoddysToylandAdventures TV series]] based on the ''Noddy'' books by Creator/EnidBlyton [[AdaptationExpansion added]] a doll named Dinah Doll, whose market is the only shop in Toyland.

* Trading posts in remote jungles and such qualify by definition.
** J.H. Slick's trading post in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Jumanji}}'' [[TheAnimatedSeries animated series]].
** L Renard Dumont's trading post in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''
** The Android's Dungeon seems to be the only shop in Springfield where one can buy comic books. In a bit of {{Irony}}, the one day Comic Book Guy tried to gloat about it to customers threatening to buy comics elsewhere was the day a bigger comic book shop was opening across the street from his.
** In one episode, Homer hires a builder called Surly Joe when the house's foundations were damaged but gets outraged when Joe gave him an expensive estimate and tells him "Forget it! [[TemptingFate You're not the only foundation guy in town!]]" He goes inside, opens the phonebook to "foundation repair", and finds one advert: "Surly Joe's Foundation Repair, THE ''ONLY'' FOUNDATION REPAIR COMPANY IN TOWN".
** For the most part, the people of Springfield only ever seem to buy groceries at the Kwik-E-Mart.
* The 2009 reboot of WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake has Orange Blossom's store.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones''

* Occasionally happens in rural areas, where a village will be served by one family-run grocery shop. Not exactly common in cities.
** Sometimes the local government has to step in. In Baldwin, Florida, for example, after the only grocery store in town closed, the mayor opened a [[https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/22/baldwin-florida-food-desert-city-owned-grocery-store/ government-run store]].

[[folder:Film]]

* Likewise, this tends to occur naturally in the ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'' games with the Market building. This building lets you buy and sell resources and trade with the other civilizations, but due to the specifics of how it works each civilization will only ever need one.

* Wroxham in Norfolk, United Kingdom (pop. 1,500) has about a dozen outlets of Roys of Wroxham, including Roy's Food Hall, Roy's Garden Centre, Roy's Toys & Games, Roy's DIY, Roy's Zone Young Fashion, Little Miss Roy's girls' outfitters - it's like Hazzard County there!