Oh...I knew it," said a local resident.

In fact, there had been whisperings about the closing of the Ito-Yokado Kitami store in the local community. With the official announcement this time, "Ah...I knew it" was often heard from the locals.

Speaking of weekends, I used to go to Ito-Yokado, and buying snacks for my children at Poppo was my daily pleasure. A few years ago, the restaurant at the entrance to Poppo closed, and I thought maybe... but it is still sad to hear again that it is closed."

I worked there part-time when I was a student. As an adult, I used to use the restaurant as a customer, but it is sad to think that a place that I have a deep attachment to will be closed. I still have some time left, so I will keep coming back until that day comes."

I liked Ito-Yokado because it was compact but had a wide variety of items. I especially love PB (private brand) products, and if I can't get them in the future, I'm going to be in trouble. I was sad to hear about the closing of the store, but I guess it's just the times we live in."

The store will close at the end of August 2024. A supermarket rooted and loved by the community

The Ito-Yokado Kitami store has supported the lives of the local community for nearly 40 years. When we proceeded with our interviews, we were impressed by the voices of those who said that despite the news of the store closing, they will continue to go to the store as their daily supermarket until the store closes in August. In fact, the number of large supermarkets is increasing in Kitami City, and in fact, if you simply want to buy food, the price may not be that much different anywhere.

However, it is true that the Ito-Yokado Kitami store has many fans of its atmosphere and product lineup. Although there has been much speculation about the future of the store itself, the future of the store is being watched closely. After the closure of the Kitami store, Ito-Yokado opened four stores in Sapporo: the Kotoni store, Ario Sapporo store, Tonden store, and Fukuzumi store. For those who have been familiar with the company for a long time, the future of the four remaining stores is also attracting attention.

Check them out as well!