Mar 3, 2010

Dundee Main Street survives bumps in roadBy Julie MullenSuburbanChicagoNews.com

West Dundee — While America’s downtowns have been hard hit by the economy in recent years, some small independent stores seem to be weathering it all.

Just how they are surviving is on the minds of Dundee-area residents, who say they want to support the small mom-and-pop shops in their downtown but have financial worries of their own.

Even though many residents have opted to shop at the big-box discount stores that line Randall Road, some businesses along West Dundee’s Main Street say they are doing just fine despite a vacancy next door.

The perennial favorite Around the Corner Candy shop, 107 S. Second St., posted a 17 percent increase in sales in 2009 over the prior year, according to owner Kim Srajer.

Srajer, who opened the shop in 1998, says that candy is a staple for many, and the kind she offers can’t be found just anywhere.

“It’s candy. People can spend a couple of dollars on candy even when they can’t afford other things,” Srajer said. “Nostalgia candy has always been big. You don’t see it in Jewel stores because they don’t get a good deal on it in bulk.”

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