The Locopops stores in Raleigh and Chapel Hill are out of business.
Summer Bicknell, the owner of Locopops, said the venues closed Oct. 27 because many customers are no longer interested in visiting the brick and mortar stores. The venue in Durham remains unaffected, though it will be closed for the holiday season from mid-December to mid-January.
“Customer feedback tells me that folks increasingly want to enjoy Locopops during festivals, farmers markets, ball games, etc. and they want the convenience of grabbing a pop or pint while they’re shopping for other items or getting a coffee,” Bicknell wrote in a statement. “They’re less and less likely to make a special trip for one item. This trend prompted me to explore new delivery models.”
Bicknell added that Locopops plans to have more carts and kiosks at events and popular venues, where the consumer demand is higher.
“This change will free up resources so I can explore a mobile option so we can take our frozen treats on the road,” the statement read.
Bicknell wrote in an email Tuesday that the flagship Durham store, which opened in 2005, will always be open as long as Locopops exists.
She declined to comment on the financial situation of the Durham store and whether the closing of the Raleigh and Chapel Hill locations was due to financial hardship.
Locopops products will continue to be available through 23 merchants in the Research Triangle area, including The Museum of Life and Science Café, Foster’s Market and Sam’s Quik Shop in Durham, she added.
Not all customers prefer the mobile convenience to the classical store setting though.
“There was something special about the storefront—the large whiteboard with funny drawings, the freezers full of colorful pops, it felt almost nostalgic,” Elliot Acosta, a frequent customer of the Locopops Raleigh store, wrote in an email Monday. “It’s sad it’s going away and that’s something you cannot replicate buying from a retail store.”
Bicknell echoed a similar sentiment about the classical store setting.
“I agree totally that there are flavors and a customer experience that are unique to visiting our store, which is one reason why we’ve kept Durham open,” she wrote in an email Tuesday.
Acosta said he still looks forward to purchasing Locopops products through other venues.
Similarly, Local Yogurt closed down its Durham store on University Drive in July. However, there are no plans to close other Local Yogurt venues.
“The lease was up and our Erwin store is fairly close by, so we just thought it was the right timing to change some things,” said Leah Bergman, co-owner of Local Yogurt.
Local Yogurt currently has three locations in Durham, Elon and Greenville. There are also LoYo On the Go food trucks circulating around the cities, however the LoYo truck was not invited back to Duke’s campus this year.
Local Yogurt’s business has declined slightly as of late, said Madeline Jones, an employee at the venue on Erwin Road.
“Usually we get more customers at night than during the day, but in general things haven’t changed very much,” she said.
Although business has changed in the past year, the Local Yogurt on Erwin Road is here to stay.
“Of course, things are changing and we are always looking around for new locations to move to, but the stores that we currently have will stay for a while,” Bergman said.
Bergman added that she plans to expand by adding a few more trucks and machines when students are away for the holiday season.
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