If it’s on sale, they will come.
Aficionados of the Cook’sMart store in Denver’s Cherry Creek North neighborhood are lining up to bid farewell to the popular kitchenware store – and snag some discounts in the process.
“We’re here for the bargains. It’s a no-brainer,” said Nika Ely, a Boulder retiree who ventured to the store Friday with friend Kathy McGinnis.
The pair visit the store about three times a year and planned a special trip when they learned owner Merrillyn Shroads is retiring after 25 years.
“It’s a bummer,” Ely said.
Shroads said such sentiments have made her wistful about closing the store, but she’s looking forward to retirement. She said she wasn’t prepared for the response to her going-out-of-business sale, which launched Thursday.
“You could literally not move in here” because of the crowds Thursday, she said. Store staff had to post someone at the door and allow a shopper in only when another person left, she said.
Business slowed slightly Friday, but customers still filled the aisles, and lines at the register were several people deep. Most items were marked down 20 percent on Friday, with seasonal items priced up to 50 percent off.
Shroads originally expected the store to remain open four-and-a-half to five weeks to clear out its inventory. Early response to the sale has her thinking the store may close sooner.
Staff writer Kristi Arellano can be reached at 303-820-1902 or karellano@denverpost.com.
