West Kelowna

The lights were on, but the windows were papered over and there was only one lonely employee in the store early Sunday morning, snapping photos of nearly-empty rows of shelves.

After 22 years in business, Cooper's Foods in West Kelowna opened their doors to the public one last time Saturday and closed them at 6 p.m.

Signs on the doors included a thank-you message to the community and a declaration that all stock was 20 per cent off.

As of Saturday, the shelves were nearly empty and shoppers were snapping up whatever bargains they could find.

"It's too bad, but I think we all knew this was coming," says Wendy Leachman, who was on the hunt for inexpensive cupboard staples. "We're a small community and they opened Walmart and the Superstore is coming soon and with Save-On (Foods) nearby, its hard for the little guys to compete."

Staff were told of the store's impending closure in September of last year, but weren't immediately given a date. A cashier working at the store says some employees were transferred to Save-On Foods, which is owned by the same company, or started seeking employment elsewhere.

A man working at the store Sunday morning says the job now is to completely empty the shelves and prepare the store for permanent closure.

No replacement store has been announced for the space.

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