Bottom Dollar IGA to be 'resized'

The Bottom Dollar IGA in the Southtown Shopping Center will undergo what owner Tom Schmutz is calling a "resizing" of the local, independent grocery starting the first of the year.

The store is rapidly approaching its first year anniversary in Du Quoin and, in that time, there have been lessons learned.

When the Kroger store closed two years ago, Du Quoin shoppers were begging for a new, easy-to-shop replacement grocery.

Schmutz and wife Beverly answered the call. Market studies indicated that Du Quoin could and would support a high quality grocery equal in size to the Kroger foodliner. That happened in some ways, but not in every way.

"My ego got in the way," he told the newspaper several weeks ago.

The 10 percent cost-plus aspect to the store's marketing was never completely understood although much of the pricing competed very well with Walmart.

Schmutz admitted that was a mistake and instead signed on with IGA, dropping the 10 percent add-on at the checkout aisle.

The store's upcoming "resizing" will cut the size of the store from 28,000 square feet down to 18,000 square feet. The rationale is simple. Less space means smaller inventory on perishable items--fruits, produce ane meats and improved turnover as a matter of freshness dating. Much of the space will come off the west end of the store. Shopping center property manager John Hunziker already has some retail inquiries about that space.

Du Quoin economic development director Jeff Ashauer said Schmutz has already repaid loans to the city and Champion Communities provided when the store opened. Champion Communities will help fund the makeover. Their determination to give Du Quoin what it needs speaks volumes about the integrity of the couple.