Sara Lee to Shut Outlet Stores in Homewood, Oak Lawn

Sara Lee will close its outlet stores in Oak Lawn (pictured) and Homewood. -- Courtesy Oak Lawn Patch

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The impending split of Sara Lee Corp. into a global coffee company and a North American operation under the Hillshire Brands banner, also means the demise of its 11 outlet stores including locations in Homewood and Oak Lawn.

The store manager in Oak Lawn said regular customers had been coming into the store today lamenting its eventual closing.

The Oak Lawn store is at 5711 W. 95^th St. and the Homewood store is at 18400 Governors Highway.

Matt Pakula, senior manager for corporate communications for Sara Lee, said there was no timetable for the closings but said the stores will close by the end of November.

Pakula said Hillshire Brands would not be able to devote the “attention required for success in stand-alone retail operations.”

Each store employs about seven people.

New book store opens at Chicago Ridge Mall

Books-a-Million opened its third Chicago-area bookstore on Thursday inside the former Borders Express at Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago Ridge.

Books-a-Million is the third largest books retailer in the United States with more than 250 stores.

Manager Brandon Wolak said the company has been successful in the South and decided the recent demise of Borders gave it an opportunity to expand in the North. The retailer opened a store in Southlake Mall in Hobart, Ind., late last year and will open another store in a couple of weeks at Fox Valley Center in Aurora. The company has had a store in downtown Chicago for a while, Wolak said.

Wolak said there is still demand for books.

“We have more than enough customers who don’t like to read ebooks or books online,” he said. “They like the feel of a real book.”

The Chicago Ridge location is located close to Sears in the mall and is smaller than most Books-a-Million locations. Wolak said that despite its size, the store features a Joe Muggs Café coffee shop and espresso bar, books, magazines, cards, gifts and collectible supplies.

The store employs seven to eight people, he said.

For information, call 708-423-4285 or visit Books-a-Million.

Fox Head to open next week

Fox Head Inc., which made its name with a worldwide brand of motocross apparel and has since branched out into other performance sports, is scheduled to open its only Chicago-area store at Orland Square Mall on Monday. The company was started as Fox Racing in 1974 in Campbell, Calif.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com.