Corner stores also have their own expenses to deal with. They rarely have the same access to suppliers as grocery stores, nor do they have the access to the same prices for their goods. They may be paying the same for labour, but they are typically dealing with much lower volumes. I don't have a clue on how the cost of their leases compares, but it is going to affect the price consumers pay. If it really was as simple as them being opportunist capitalists yaking advantage of people, we would see far more corner stores in this world.
Absolutely. One cannot compare one’s own subsidized hobby with an enterprise that must maintain itself to survive. As my other example of making your own sandwich vs getting one at a deli. One cannot compare the naive costs vs the reality the delikatessen deals with.
