I think with the modern so-called farm store chains, they've all gone Hollywood. That is, they're run as a maximum efficiency business the way you would expect those lessons to be taught at a high-end MBA business college. That means pay as little as you can, efficiency everything possible from inventory turnover to reducing every cost as much as possible. No wasted anything. The goal of some seems to be to keep 100% of every dollar you spend as gross profit.
Executive management is paid and bonused, as well they should, on what they bring to the bottom line and how well the stock does. The whole company works for, and answers to, the shareholders. That's life. If a 5/32" cotter pin can't pull it's weight, it's not there. The efficiencies of modern management is what we don't like.
In contrast, the mom and pop shop we all find so welcoming is filled with operational inefficiency. They carry those 5/32" cotter pins because someone might need one and what the heck is $2 for a bag full and some shelf space? The clerk might be older and shuffle around but we like him. Hardly a go-getter at the cash register.
Our problem with the chain stores is that we--us--are all smarter than anyone in those modern stores because we have the skin in the game of our own equipment and vocation or avocation is at risk. That's partly why internet shopping has taken off is that we are smarter than the people that try to sell things to us and we don't have the hassle of driving 40 miles to have our intelligence insulted with a tool made in Sri Lanka or an wiseacre 17 year-old.
I shop at the mom and pop places, mail order from them find niche businesses that sell what I want or need. My own life gets run that way to in that I operate with inefficiencies and might do something for an older or broke person to help out. I might not charge or just for free help a widow woman because she needs help. That kind of thing. I stay out of the places I don't like because it only encourages them and my behavior of going in there says is all OK. It's not with me.