"Ah... I thought so," said the locals.

In fact, rumors of the closure of the Ito-Yokado Kitami store had been circulating locally. With this official announcement, we have often heard locals say, "Ah... I thought so."

"On weekends, I would go to Ito-Yokado and buy snacks for my children at Poppo, which was a daily pleasure. A few years ago, the restaurant at the entrance to Poppo closed, and I wondered if it might be... but now that it's closed, I'm sad."

"I used to work here part-time when I was a student. As an adult I used to frequent this place as a customer, so it makes me sad to think that this place that I have so much attachment to will be gone. I still have some time left, so I'd like to keep coming here until that day comes."

"I liked Ito-Yokado because it was compact but had a wide variety of items. I especially love the private brands, so I'd be in trouble if I couldn't get them anymore. I was sad to hear about the store closing, but I think it's a sign of the times."

The store is scheduled to close at the end of August 2024. A beloved supermarket with deep roots in the community

Ito-Yokado Kitami store has supported the local community for nearly 40 years. As we continued our research, we were impressed by the voices of people who said that they would continue to visit the store as their daily supermarket until it closes in August, despite the news of its closure. In fact, the number of large supermarkets in Kitami City is increasing, and if you are simply buying food, the price may not differ much from place to place.

However, it is true that there are many fans of the atmosphere and product lineup of the Ito-Yokado Kitami store. There are various speculations about the future of the store itself, but future developments are attracting attention. After the closure of the Kitami store, Ito-Yokado will operate four stores in Sapporo city: the Kotoni store, the Ario Sapporo store, the Tonden store, and the Fukuzumi store. For those who have been familiar with the store for a long time, attention is also focused on the future of the remaining four stores.