Monthly Archives: February 2012

Dairy Queen opens, spring to follow

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When I noticed today that the Dairy Queen on Duluth’s Central Entrance was open and drawing in customers on this 25-degree day, I thought it’s got to a be the earliest opening ever for the popular summer stop.

But server Lauren Royer shrugged it off, saying they usually open the last week in February. And she should know. This is her fifth season at the quick stop for iced milk treats.

So their opening a week ago, on Feb. 16, was just a bit ahead of usual. So far , business has been decent, Lauren says, thanks to their returning regulars and the Blizzard special going on — buy one, get one half off.

With this harbinger of spring open, the Portland Malt Shoppe on East Superior Street shouldn’t be far behind. They usually wait til late March to open. But that’s after a typical winter in Duluth. And a typical winter it’s not.

For Blockbuster and Kmart, it’s going, going…

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Sales are in full force at the Miller Hill area Blockbuster and Kmart stores which are closing soon.

Forget about renting movies at the  Blockbuster at 244 E. Central Entrance. Those days are over as the video rental store prepares to close for good on March 25. The store’s entire inventory of new and used DVDs and Blu-rays are for sale, for up to 30 percent off. Many are going for $10 to $14, but each week prices will be reduced a little more.

Over at Kmart at 1734 Mall Drive, a storewide inventory sale has items up to 50 percent off in anticipation of the store’s May closing. But more discounts are coming when the liquidation sale starts in the next few weeks.

The closing of the Miller Hill Kmart, which opened in 1975, is part the first round of closings of 79 stores owned by Sears Holdings. The parent company is cleaning house of its marginally performing Kmart and Sears stores.