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Old 09-21-2011, 10:21 PM
 
2,155 posts, read 5,451,336 times
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This is pretty surprising. I know that grocery stores make marginal profits as it is, but I am surprised that it is closing. They say it is because of high rents, but is that really the reason?? Given the fact that the average income in Olympia Fields is significantly higher than that of South Chicago Heights, I am surprised that that store (even though it probably has lower rent) is not being closed. Jewel caters to middle class and beyond so OF should have no problem keeping the store.

Also, has it actually closed yet? The article said it would close by July 15th but the store is still listed on the website.

Save Our Jewel! Olympia Fields Village Rallies Behind Grocery
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Old 09-22-2011, 12:41 AM
 
Location: South Chicagoland
4,111 posts, read 9,013,591 times
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Default How many times do I have to explain this on City-Data whenever someone mentions Olympia Fields?

ugghh... City Data nerds. No offense, Northwest Indiana.

Not very many people live in Olympia Fields. The Lincoln Highway retail area serves a much larger area than Olympia Fields. Yes, that Jewel happens to be inside the Olmpia Fields village limits. But it is actually closer to my old neighborhood in Park Forest than any neighborhood in Olympia Fields. Literally walk across the grass FROM THAT STRIP MALL and you're in Park Forest - not Olympia Fields. I used to walk to that store from my house in Park Forest. The neighborhood behind the retail across the street from the Jewel is Olympia Fields.

Yes, it closed. It was to close soon and now it's closed completely. It closed shortly after the Food 4 Less down the street opened. The Food 4 Less has a Chicago Heights address but this is all the same retail area.

IIn spite of of the adress, there is literally no cultural or economic difference between the clientele on Lincoln Highway in Matteson and the small Lincoln Highway area in Olympia Fields. When a highway is a dividing line between towns, often times one side of the highway is one town and the other side is the other town. In this case, both sides of the road are considered Olympia Fields but if they had drawn the line that way, the Jewell would be considered Park Forest. They could have drawn the line and made Lincoln Highway a part of Park Forest but they didn't.. And if they had drawn the line that way this thread wouldn't exist - despite that if the line was drawn that way, the clientele who shops there wouldn't be the least bit different. Ya dig?

My mom loved that store. I bought stuff from the deli sometimes because my bank is very very close by. It really is a shame. But blaming this solely on Olympia Fields because that happens to be the address is ridiculous. We ALL are to blame. Just like how the Olympia Fields Blockbuster across the street from Jewel closed down. And the vacant on lot that once was a car lot next store to the Blockbuster. Lincoln Highway, Olympia Fields is NOT, I repeat NOT an upscale shopping area. Stop looking at stats on your computer and actually come see the area you're talking about.

No, it's not surprising. It's sucks because that's my area but it's not surprising. In spite of the wealth in Olympia Fields, there have never been enough residents to carry the area into a higher class of retail or better schools. Or it sure seems like that, anyway.

Last edited by urza216; 09-22-2011 at 01:07 AM..
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Old 09-22-2011, 03:15 AM
 
Location: South Chicagoland
4,111 posts, read 9,013,591 times
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And the Jewel in South Chicago Heights isn't down the street from a huuge grocery store called Ultra Foods. And it didn't have a Food 4 Less also open up down the street next to the Ultra Foods. So the comparison isn't fair. Food 4 Less opens up and a few months later Jewel closes down. Hmmmm...

And just to pound it into the ground further, this is a store that APPEARS to be in Park Forest and is a stone throw away from Chicago Heights.
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Old 09-22-2011, 03:45 AM
 
Location: South Chicagoland
4,111 posts, read 9,013,591 times
Reputation: 2077
Quote:
Originally Posted by urza216 View Post
ugghh... City Data nerds. No offense, Northwest Indiana.

Not very many people live in Olympia Fields. The Lincoln Highway retail area serves a much larger area than Olympia Fields. Yes, that Jewel happens to be inside the Olmpia Fields village limits. But it is actually closer to my old neighborhood in Park Forest than any neighborhood in Olympia Fields. Literally walk across the grass FROM THAT STRIP MALL and you're in Park Forest - not Olympia Fields. I used to walk to that store from my house in Park Forest. The neighborhood behind the retail across the street from the Jewel is Olympia Fields.

Yes, it closed. It was to close soon and now it's closed completely. It closed shortly after the Food 4 Less down the street opened. The Food 4 Less has a Chicago Heights address but this is all the same retail area.

IIn spite of of the adress, there is literally no cultural or economic difference between the clientele on Lincoln Highway in Matteson and the small Lincoln Highway area in Olympia Fields. When a highway is a dividing line between towns, often times one side of the highway is one town and the other side is the other town. In this case, both sides of the road are considered Olympia Fields but if they had drawn the line that way, the Jewell would be considered Park Forest. They could have drawn the line and made Lincoln Highway a part of Park Forest but they didn't.. And if they had drawn the line that way this thread wouldn't exist - despite that if the line was drawn that way, the clientele who shops there wouldn't be the least bit different. Ya dig?

My mom loved that store. I bought stuff from the deli sometimes because my bank is very very close by. It really is a shame. But blaming this solely on Olympia Fields because that happens to be the address is ridiculous. We ALL are to blame. Just like how the Olympia Fields Blockbuster across the street from Jewel closed down. And the vacant on lot that once was a car lot next store to the Blockbuster. Lincoln Highway, Olympia Fields is NOT, I repeat NOT an upscale shopping area. Stop looking at stats on your computer and actually come see the area you're talking about.

No, it's not surprising. It's sucks because that's my area but it's not surprising. In spite of the wealth in Olympia Fields, there have never been enough residents to carry the area into a higher class of retail or better schools. Or it sure seems like that, anyway.
First the car lot, then the Blockbuster and now Jewel. All right there next to each other and across the street from each other - closed down. It sucks but it's not surprising. I won't be surprised if that entire strip mall goes under next - just like what happened when Dominicks went out of business in Park Forest.

Only on City-Data is it surprising that the Jewell near the corner of Lincoln Highway and Western Avenue closed down..! To those of us who regularly run our errands in that area, it's not.

When I was 15, I used to ride my bicycle to the Discount Records that used to be in that strip mall where Jewell was located and I cut through the used car lot to get to Blockbuster. At least Captain Hooks fish and chicken is still open. But fish and chicken joints are like nail salons and liquor stores - they don't close down very often.

Last edited by urza216; 09-22-2011 at 04:29 AM..
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Old 09-22-2011, 04:54 AM
 
Location: Chicago, IL SouthWest Suburbs
3,522 posts, read 6,068,015 times
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Jewel is also focusing their attention on the sav a lot chains.

Fact Food 4 Less is a part of the Kroger co. which is a much larger parent than Jewels Parent.

I am surprised it was not Dominick's that closed vs. Jewel as the prices seem higher.


The good thing is that Food 4 less took a very ugly corner on us 30 and did make it shine again.

Bad news is the same thing going to happen to the shopping center that houses Jewel?

In light of the depression this really should come as no surprise.

I also find it interesting that two grocery stores are side by side Food 4 less and Ultra , competing for the same dollars.

How Jewel would have survived across the street is beyond reasoning .
Someone had to be squeezed out.

Personally I am with Urza I like Jewel probably out of habit and because its familiar.

In Tinley Meijer has came into the area along with Food 4 less right on 159th in Oak Forest
and they also have a Wal Mart to compete for Dollars.

If my memory serves me correct the Dominicks in Crestwood closed along with Kmart during the depression too.
Point is that this economy has taken a large toll businesses that have a small profit margin.

I find it surprising Meijer has not opened a store someplace in Matteson, Park Forest , Oly Fields, Homewood.

As far as pricing Food 4 less probably beats them with the exception of Ultra
That area is confusing Knowing the difference between the villages
Park Forest, Matteson, Olympia Fields They literally are all clustered together along the strip on us. 30
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Old 09-22-2011, 05:22 AM
 
Location: South Chicagoland
4,111 posts, read 9,013,591 times
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Btw, I'm a "city data nerd" too. I just think that due to the kind of person that's usually interested in a website like this, you tend not to get the entire picture when reading the forums.
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Old 09-22-2011, 06:15 AM
 
Location: South Chicagoland
4,111 posts, read 9,013,591 times
Reputation: 2077
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays View Post
Jewel is also focusing their attention on the sav a lot chains.

Fact Food 4 Less is a part of the Kroger co. which is a much larger parent than Jewels Parent.

I am surprised it was not Dominick's that closed vs. Jewel as the prices seem higher.


The good thing is that Food 4 less took a very ugly corner on us 30 and did make it shine again.

Bad news is the same thing going to happen to the shopping center that houses Jewel?

In light of the depression this really should come as no surprise.

I also find it interesting that two grocery stores are side by side Food 4 less and Ultra , competing for the same dollars.

How Jewel would have survived across the street is beyond reasoning .
Someone had to be squeezed out.

Personally I am with Urza I like Jewel probably out of habit and because its familiar.

In Tinley Meijer has came into the area along with Food 4 less right on 159th in Oak Forest
and they also have a Wal Mart to compete for Dollars.

If my memory serves me correct the Dominicks in Crestwood closed along with Kmart during the depression too.
Point is that this economy has taken a large toll businesses that have a small profit margin.

I find it surprising Meijer has not opened a store someplace in Matteson, Park Forest , Oly Fields, Homewood.

As far as pricing Food 4 less probably beats them with the exception of Ultra
That area is confusing Knowing the difference between the villages
Park Forest, Matteson, Olympia Fields They literally are all clustered together along the strip on us. 30
I've stopped by that store before, on the way home from Orland. I've noticed a slightly different selection than the Food 4 Less in Chicago Heights too. But it's still a chain store that is very similar..

Jewel and Dominicks are union but this really doesn't necessarily mean it's a better place to work than Food 4 Less or Ultra Foods. The thing about Ultra is that they push the limits of full time. So people are working nearly forty hours a week but not getting any benefits. At worst, I've heard rumors of racial discrimination - and that black people don't get promoted to management positions even if the workforce is black majority. The quitting rate is high at Ultra. But half of Jewel employees are working less than 16 hours a week. It's union but they get screwed out of benifits too. The point is that an employee at the cheaper non-union grocery store is prabobly cashing a MUCH larger paycheck than the more expensive union one, believe it not.

Another pathetic irony is that working the fork lift at ultra foods is about 9 bucks an hour but in a more industrial setting like a factory, you might be able to earn twice that much doing the same damn thing. It's the same deal with stocking jobs at Ultra (or Walmart) verses working in a werhouse. And no, I've never been employed at any of these places myself. It's the company I keep that's the reason I know this, lol. Too bad the manufacturing jobs are disappearing quicker than retail locations.
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Old 09-22-2011, 07:45 AM
 
2,155 posts, read 5,451,336 times
Reputation: 1571
Default Urza, you are right

After reading your post, I should have thought about the "location, location, location" aspect of things. Especially given the weird boundaries of many villages. Demographics do not always dramatically change across a towns border (some places are exceptions) and as nice as OF is, it cannot support a grocery store on its own if less affluent neighbors bring down the income of the whole area and support the other chains.
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Old 09-23-2011, 01:09 AM
 
Location: South Chicagoland
4,111 posts, read 9,013,591 times
Reputation: 2077
Quote:
Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana View Post
After reading your post, I should have thought about the "location, location, location" aspect of things. Especially given the weird boundaries of many villages. Demographics do not always dramatically change across a towns border (some places are exceptions) and as nice as OF is, it cannot support a grocery store on its own if less affluent neighbors bring down the income of the whole area and support the other chains.
Olympia Fields has retail on the southern edge (Lincoln Highway / Route 30 where the Jewel closed down) and the northern edge (Vollmer Road). And not really any in between. There still is a relatively upscale store in Olympia Fields called Bizio's on Vollmer Road. You know, across the street from the Flossmoor village limits. I stay in Monee and there are no grocery stores in between my house and the Cook County line that's north of here. Vollmer Road is a hassle just to buy groceries unless I'm already driving in my car and out that way.

Yes, the boundaries are confusing. So is Indianapolis Boulevard though. I'm not sure where precisely Highland ends and Sheriville begins.

Last edited by urza216; 09-23-2011 at 01:20 AM..
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Old 09-30-2011, 08:10 PM
 
2,299 posts, read 6,152,124 times
Reputation: 1744
Olympia Fields is hardly affluent these days. There are 43 homes on the market right now, with a median price of only around $200,000. The top home price is just over $400,000, and they drop in price quickly after that. More then a quarter of the homes listed are short sales and foreclosures. The high school is mediocre, and you have to drive out to Orland for anything approaching upscale shopping. You're in good shape if you work downtown, but it's a nightmare to get to work in the suburban job centers (Oak Brook, Schaumburg, etc.). It's not really a desirable destination for someone looking for an affluent community.
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