STRICTLY BUSINESS: SOFT OPENING THIS MONTH, GRAND OPENING NEXT MONTH

"A little different. A lot better."

That's how K's Merchandise bills itself, both philosophically and corporately. Area shoppers will soon be able to judge that for themselves when K's opens its largest location yet in the old Central Hardware building on South Broadview.

Ready for distribution at the grand opening of Cape Girardeau's newest retail operation is the annual K's Merchandise Shopping Guide.

The 456-page catalog contains jewelry, household appliances, cookware, lawn and garden furniture, outdoors equipment, electronics and much more.

It will be free to anyone during the store's grand opening, said Cindy Burgess, K's Merchandise community relations coordinator.

Official grand opening festivities start the evening of Oct. 16, when K's Merchandise hosts a chamber of commerce VIP party.

"This event is exclusively for chamber members and their guests," said Burgess. K's Merchandise corporate officers will attend the event.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony

K's grand opening will continue Oct. 17 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the store's main entrance.

Hundreds of people are expected for the Oct. 17 opening.

"We'll give shopping bags filled with more than $100 of store merchandise to the first 300 shoppers to enter the store immediately following the ribbon cutting," said Burgess.

The four-day grand opening will feature grand prize drawings, daily giveaways, floor bingo games, and special appearance by some special cartoon celebrities, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the American Greetings Birthday Bear.

Also scheduled during the grand opening are appearances by NASCAR drivers and cars, and a number of sporting goods demonstrations in the parking lot.

The store-opening giveaways will resume Saturday, with a random presentation of 495 one-half carat cubic zirconias and five genuine one-half carat diamonds to the first 500 shoppers.

K's is also working with Southeast State University and FISH for a can-building contest which will benefit the community with a food drive. "Various groups will collect canned goods and build statues of them on the parking lot," said Burgess. The canned foods will be donated to FISH.

Store officials are also working with Southeast Missouri Hospital to have the cartoon characters make special visits to the hospitals to spread cheer with patients and staff.

Area consumers will have an opportunity to shop the store before grand opening. K's is in the final weeks of store training, and hopes to have a "soft opening" (not advertised) before the end of September.

"This will allow the staff to prepare for the mid-October grand opening," said Burgess.

Phil Pierce is store manager. He is also regional manager for the Carbondale, Ill., store, which opened in November.

100 full-time employees

K's will employ about 100 full-time employees, and another 100 season employees through the holidays.

The store will be open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The Cape Girardeau store will include a jewelry store within the store, featuring the largest retail jewelry department in Missouri. K's will also offer shoppers a bridal, baby and gift registry service at the new store.

K's Merchandise is a family-owned, regional chain headquartered in Decatur, Ill.

First interest in '95

K's Merchandise owner Kay Eldridge first expressed interest in Cape Girardeau in December when he visited the city to look at the former Central Hardware facility.

"We've submitted a bid on the building," said Eldridge.

The amount of the bid was not revealed, but it was enough. The property was offered for auction with the approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

K's Merchandise was one of nine sealed-auction bidders on the 97,000-square-foot building at Broadview Street and Bloomfield Road. Some 75,000 square feet will be utilized for retail display.

The Cape Girardeau building is on 7.14 acres of land.

K's Merchandise offers a variety of name-brand products, including sporting goods, electronics, jewelry, housewares, furniture, small appliances, toys, baby goods and giftware.

K's Merchandise was founded in 1957 and now has 10 stores in Illinois and three in Iowa. The company also operates eight Eldridge Fine Jewelry Stores in Missouri, Kansas and Florida.

Wolohan preparing for closure

But all is not good on the Cape Girardeau business scene. Wolohan's Lumber & Home Improvement Center is going about the business of selling out its inventory in preparation for a Sept. 30 closing.

Wolohan's, a hardware and building materials firm which employed 24 people, opened the local facility in 1990.

The company, headquartered in Saginaw, Mich., purchased the property at 120 N. Kingshighway from Riverside Building Supply and Home Centers, which operated a lumber company for more than 85 years before closing in October of 1989.

Wolohan's has more than 60 stores in five states -- Kentucky, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. The Cape Girardeau store was the only store in Missouri.

I understand another company has already expressed an interest in the Wolohan property.

More later.

B. Ray Owen is business editor of the Southeast Missourian.