GRAND ISLAND — Dee’s Hallmark, Incredible Bulk, and LensCrafters are closing at the Conestoga Mall.
The stores are located in the south end of the mall, which is the only area of the mall where businesses are located.
Colleen Belitz, one of four owners of Dee’s Hallmark, said the store will be closing by the end of the month.
“Jan. 31 is our target date. That’s when our lease is up,” she said.
She was unsure how long the store has been open at the mall. The business has six employees.
“We have nowhere to go. The new owner did not renew our lease. We looked for months and months for a suitable location, but nothing seemed to work out,” she said.
“We’d like to that our Grand Island customers for their years of patronage, and we very much wish we could stay open,” Belitz said. “I’d like to thank our staff that have been with us for years. We owe our success to them.”
A sign outside the store said that merchandise is available at 50 percent off retail price.
Kathy Schmidt is the manager of the Incredible Bulk, which is closing Saturday.
“We were hoping to go longer but the number of people who have come since I posted in Facebook (that the store was closing) has been unbelievable,” she said. Very little merchandise remained in the store on Friday.
Randy Price is the store’s owner. Incredible Bulk opened in 1988.
Schmidt said the store is closing “because of the new construction.” She said the store did not look for another site. The store used to have up to four employees but is down to two employees since 2020. Candy Brooks has worked at the store for 23 years, and Schmidt has worked at the store almost 28 years.
“I appreciate all of the support and friendships we’ve made with great customers through the years,” Schmidt said.
LensCrafters is closing Jan. 20. Store employee Misty Seeber said she is not sure why the store is closing. Customers can go to LensCrafters in Lincoln or Omaha. The Grand Island store has six employees. A corporate employee had not responded back at the time of this story’s publication.
