Talk:Ponyville/@comment-46.43.84.181-20130614113235/@comment-10390252-20140408110725

It's a rural town built on the European (espeically Dutch) model. One of the staples of the rural town is the farmer's market where local farmers sell direct rather than via large stores.

I'm sure that Manehattan and Canterlot are closer to the model we recognise with chain stores (like Filthy Rich's "Barnyard Bargains") rather than markets.