For three decades, small-town retailers suffered amid tough competition from big discounters and malls that drew shoppers from a hundred-mile radius. But some retailers in rural areas are now seeing a boost as shoppers clobbered by high gas prices shop more locally.

Among the examples:

_Family Dollar Stores Inc., whose rural stores account for 30 percent of its business, says that rural locations are outperforming the chain as a whole.

_The Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. franchise, which operates 113 supermarkets in Georgia and South Carolina, says some rural stores that had been struggling with sales declines have seen sales rise recently.

_Sales tax revenue in Thomasville, Ala., is up 5 percent so far in the fiscal year that will end Sept. 30. Mayor Sheldon Day says traffic in town is up 5 percent to 10 percent from a year ago.

_Brewton, Ala., has seen a 6 percent increase in sales tax revenue recent months, according to the city clerk.

_Mobile and Montgomery, where the nearest malls are, say they’re dealing with shortfalls. Montgomery is struggling with the first sales tax revenue shortfall in at least 10 years, according to Michael Briddell, executive assistant to Mayor Bobby Bright.