When you live in a rural area, a single store closing hits harder because you already have fewer options.
In some cases, a single closing of a key business, such as a grocery store or discount retailer, can force residents to travel long distances or rely on online retailers for certain purchases.
On a personal level, this affected my family when the Market Basket supermarket closed near our vacation home in New Hampshire. This has left the community without a real grocery store for years, forcing people to drive nearly half an hour to pick up their staples or overpay at local specialty stores.
Something similar happened when K-Mart closed in Key West. That stop, one of the last in the chain, robbed that remote area of its only department store, forcing residents to drive four to five hours before reaching a Walmart or a Target.
Residents in the Pacific Northwest are now facing similar challenges, according to local reports.
In the markets it serves, Cascade Farm and Outdoor, which is closing all of its stores, will leave a similar hole for consumers.
A rival to Tractor Supply, Cascade Farm serves farmers and rural communities. It’s sort of a general store model of everything you could possibly need. The chain offers food, clothing, footwear, sporting goods, outdoor equipment, hardware and various farm supplies.
“Cascade Farm and Outdoor is built on the great Northwest traditions you’ve come to know and trust. As the newest member of the Bi-Mart family, Cascade Farm and Outdoor is dedicated to quality and value throughout our store. Our goal is to give our area’s hardworking farmers, ranchers and homeowners a helping hand along with a great selection of quality merchandise on its website.
Bi-Mart decided to close the entire chain in the spring and has already started out-of-business sales at its stores.
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Cascade Farm and Outdoor will close. Shutterstock ·Shutterstock
The company explained the closing in a press release shared with KCBY 11.
“Our Cascade store division, while successful, lacked the volume and momentum to contribute significantly to our path forward. As always necessary in business, our goal is to make the best possible decisions that support the success of Bi-Mart, our employee-owners and our members,” he offered.
More retail:
B-Mart plans to offer Cascade Farm employees positions at other stores when geographically possible.
“As an employee-owned company, our responsibility to our members and to others led us to the difficult decision to close our Cascade stores to ensure Bi-Mart continues to grow. We believe the strength of our core business is the most important factor in our continued growth and success in the Northwest,” said President Todd Watson.
The company has started offering clearance deals in its stores. All in-store sales are final and no returns will be accepted. Cascade Farm and Outdoor has not set an official closing date, saying only “this spring” in its statement and on the brand’s website.
Kristina Brant, who co-authored two studies on the impact of business closures in rural communities, shared the high cost of a closure like this on Penn State University’s website.
“While some people may be able to travel to the next town to access services, this is not possible for everyone, so these closures could perpetuate inequalities between residents,” Brant said.
Nationally, an estimate 53.6 million Americans (17.4% of the population) live in low-income census tracts more than 10 miles from the nearest supermarket or large grocery storehighlighting the challenges rural communities face when local retail options close, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.
Launched by Bi-Mart in 2014: Cascade Farm and Outdoor opened its first store in Walla Walla, Washington in 2014 as a new division of Bi-Mart family of retailers focused on farm, ranch and outdoor lifestyles, according to the company’s website.
Part of the Bi-Mart family: The brand operates under the Bi-Mart umbrella, but with a distinct retail concept targeting rural and out-of-town customers without requiring a membership to shop, the Eugene Register Guard reported.
Five stores in total by mid-2020: The concept grew to five locations covering the Washington and Oregon markets, while Bi-Mart explored this niche retail format, That Oregon Life reported.
Product offer: The stores carried a wide range of goods including farm and ranch supplies, pet food and supplies, hardware, outdoor gear and clothing for farmers, ranchers and outdoor enthusiasts, according to the company.
Closure Decision 2026: In January 2026Bi-Mart announced that all Cascade Farm and Outdoor stores will it closes this spring as the company refocuses on its core Bi-Mart retail operations in the Pacific Northwest, That Oregon Life added.
Although the Cascade Farm and Outdoor chain will close, Bi-Mart has plans for growth.
“While we will be closing our Cascade Farm and Outdoor stores, we will move forward with plans to convert the Hood River Cascade store into a Bi-Mart this spring,” the company said. “The Bi-Mart employee-owners will work hard to make this transition as smooth as possible and look forward to serving the Hood River community.”
B-Mart, which uses a Costco-style membership model, plans to open in Seattle later this year.
This story was originally published by TheStreet on January 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a favorite source by clicking here.
