Cedartown's downtown once housed local branches of major department stores, with grocery stores such as Kroger and A&P and local merchants including A.C. Cobb, Stubbs and Hogg, and Rives lining the streets. National chains later came to Main Street, including Western Auto, Belk Rhodes, J.C. Penney, and Diana Shops. Allen's 5 and 10 Cent Store was a community staple into the early 1980s, remembered for its hardwood floors, candy bins, and popcorn machines. Cedartown's Western Auto was operated by A. G. Ward from 1939 to 1985. Over time, suburban malls and big box retail led many historic downtown locations to become boutique stores or places offering more specialized services.