Pekin, Ill. (25 News) – Co-Op Records opened in 1998 by owner Denny Smith.
On Sept. 30, the longtime and beloved record store in Pekin will officially be closing its doors.
25 News reports that Smith has moved to Nashville to pursue a music career and work other jobs, and said the time commitment and recent financial stress over the last few years led to his tough decision.
Smith noted that the shop never fully recovered after pandemic closures.
“Even though that closure was only two and a half months, it really, really took the wind out of our sales, and we were riding pretty high at that point,” Smith said. “We just never really recovered from that.”
Smith shared his love for the store and the community.
“I’ve met so many people, and all kinds of crazy things have happened in that store…It’s been great, but the distance has made it almost impossible.”
Smith would love to see the store be ran by someone else and continue its operations, but he hasn’t found a buyer yet.
The store will open seven days a week until its closure on Sept. 30.
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