Last of Tartu's corner stores disappearing one by one
Corner stores are fading from the Tartu cityscape, as high energy bills and dwindling customer numbers force even longtime neighborhood fixtures to close.
Just days ago, the storied Kuu pood, the last of its kind in Karlova, closed its doors, simultaneously closing a chapter in a district that once boasted hundreds of tiny shops.
Rising costs and retail chains have changed the landscape.
Kuu pood was never a place for big shopping trips; it was more a spot to grab quick essentials, said the owner. But even those purchases had dwindled in recent years. A few years back, Rimi opened its own "mini" grocery just up the street, and combined with high electricity bills, it became impossible to keep Kuu pood open.
"I think [Kuu pood] became kind of legendary precisely because it was the last one, and it lasted so long," said longtime Karlova resident Toomas Liivamägi, noting that customers regularly included university faculty and those more down on their luck alike.
"The beer was more expensive, but at least you could get it here," he said. Living as a kid in Karlova back in the day, he added, you could actually get most things you needed from the corner store.
Running a small shop in the city is no small feat. Tarmo Erik, who has run Kirsi pood in Ülejõe for more than 30 years, is also considering closing. Last month, his power bill reached €750.
"There's nothing cheerful about it," he admitted. "We're basically living month to month. We're hoping summer will bring some relief, but yes, I've thought about shutting it down."
In the summer, lower electricity costs and higher ice cream and cold drink sales help keep corner stores like his afloat. Year round, Kirsi pood currently has about 50 regular customers, which also goes a long way.
'Locals come in their bathrobes'
Other Tartu neighborhoods have seen similar losses. In Supilinn, for example, local staples like Kartuli, Kloostri and Toome pood are all gone, leaving Herne pood as the district's last local store. And locals would be sad to see it go too.
"It would be much duller [without it]," said Herne pood regular Laura Sünter. "People still meet here and chat. It's always so fun to see locals walk in wearing their bathrobes and flip-flops."
Even frigid temperatures like Tartu has seen this winter are no deterrent there.
"Some folks still come in Herne pood in shorts and slippers," Sünter added. "That's how you know they're locals."
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Aili Vahtla
