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The Slocums celebrate the grand opening of their store in Buchanan.
By JESSICA SIEFF
Niles Daily Star
A family with deep roots and a building with an old history have come together for a unique new gift shop in Buchanan.
One which, fittingly, encompasses all of the feelings of home and family.
For Penny Slocum-Correa, owner of Slocum’s, now open on 111 Main Street in Buchanan, the store has been a venture she’s been dreaming of for a long time.
“I was born and raised in Buchanan,” she said. She and her husband own B.C. Mechanical in Niles and it’s kept her busy for quite some time. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” she said. “But (I) never could leave B.C. Mechanical to do it.”
Meanwhile, her sister Leisa Slocum-Webb, was busy working for Tyler Refrigeration for more than 25 years.
“When they closed their doors,” Correa said, “I talked her into doing this for me.”
Webb manages the store that opened its doors July 2, not long after Correa bought the building at the end of April.
For locals, the space is almost sacred, having housed the town’s old donut shop for many years, where on any given morning friends could be found discussing the issues of the day over freshly made donuts and coffee.
That sense of community seems to live on even with an all new interior and all new features.
“They say we’re the biggest turnaround they’ve ever seen,” Correa said of the speedy renovation. The interior is all new, almost everything in the building is, she said — except for the exterior brick.
Inside, Slocum’s is fitted with all the unique gifts and decor that one might find in the comfort of one’s home — which seems to be exactly what Correa was going for.
“It’s gifts, decor and more,” she said. “It’s got anywhere from bird houses to roosters to lotions, candle sticks and flower arrangements.
“I think it’s what Buchanan needs,” Correa said. “We’re very affordable. Almost every single item in this store is under $100.”
Business has been good since opening up the doors, she said, with visitors from the community, neighboring towns and even visiting from Chicago coming in to take a look at what Slocum’s has to offer.
“Business is great,” she said. “The people have been wonderful.”
Slocum’s, like the name, is rooted in family and the shop is a family business. Webb manages the store, “this is something that she enjoys also,” Correa said.
In addition to decor the store offers wedding and baby shower “cakes” made from towels and diapers and Correa said she’s waiting on a wine and spirit license so soon they may offer wine gift baskets.
“To me, it’s not work, it’s fun,” Correa said. “I get to decorate the shelves and the store windows. I’ve always wanted to do this and I’ve always wanted it to be in honor of our family. We’re six generations of Slocum’s in this town.”
The name may be more than just a tribute, Correa said she thinks it may also be a draw.
“I think our (store) is really popular because it’s affordable and because it’s Buchanan people doing it. A lot of people like to shop at the shops where they know the people.
I’m hoping it will kind of inspire some more local people to do the same thing.”
Slocum’s is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. and the store has it’s own page available on Facebook.