OMG! I absolutely loved this store. It may be in a small country town, but you'd never know it. The…read moremerchandise is trendy and upscale. They have Nora Fleming and Hallmark cards, which are two of my favorite things. The customer service was excellent. The ladies working were so friendly and helpful. I need to also give a shout out to the young man pharmacist, who was patiently explaining a medicare plan to a customer. It was as if he were helping his own grandmother. Whenever I am in Sparta, I will stop by. I may even make a special trip to just shop here. Yep, I was that impressed with all their goodies.

Came to this location to grab some goodies from the new Disney Collection. They are located in one…read moreof the many shopping plazas on Homer Adams pkwy. There's plenty of parking out front. Upon entering, i was greeted by one of the many staff. They were so friendly and polite.. the store was very organized and well stocked. There's always some sort of sale going on.

Hallelujah! Bath & Body Works, finally moved out of the dead Alton Square Mall and into a strip…read morecenter across the street. I hated going into the ghost mall and trekking past empty stores to go get my BBW fix. I hated it so much, that I just did without. Now that it is in this rejuvenated strip mall, I am back to stocking up on soft soaps and candles. Being gone for a while, I was impressed with the expanded Men's selection of skin care products. The new store is organized and laid out well. It's just a few stores down from the new Marshall's that I have become obsessed with, so I am confident that I will be shopping both stores frequently. Both sales associates I had an interchange with, were super friendly and professional. They made my shopping experience fun. The cashier, got me hooked up with their rewards program and I've already cashed in on my first perk. Go ahead, call me a shopaholic.

Schwegel's is a fantastic little local grocery store with a top-notch butcher counter. It's a shame…read morethat they don't get the attention they deserve. The customer service is what you'd expect from a small town market, personalized and friendly. They offer monthly meat bundles that are budget friendly. Their brats will put, Johnsonville Brats to shame and Jimmy Dean's sausage cannot hold a candle to their sausage. Proof that buying local is a good thing. Some of their brands are generic, but with today's economy that is a good thing. There are lots of single little coolers around the store, filled with perishable products. Take note of the prepared foods near the butcher counter. You'll find some delicious side dishes for those tasty brats. Another end-cap to check out, is their branded spices. They're just as good as those expensive name brand spices. If you haven't shopped the aisles of Schwegel's, I recommend you correct that ASAP. You just might become a frequent shopper.

Love this small town Alton market. Shwegels has all your basic grocery needs including fresh…read moreproduce and an excellent meat section. They make their sausage and cut their meat in house. It's all great. They also have a small section in the meat department with a rotating hot item or two such as sausages, kabobs, chicken tenders. Love grabbing anything from there!! They have a large fridge packed to the brim with every kind of premade salad you can imagine (pesto pasta, caprese, different potato salads, sweet salads, baked beans, bean salad... so much more and in different convenient sizes. There's cold cans of soda in a bin at checkout. Everyone is kind and helpful. Love this family owned local grocer!!

I came back for a second visit and was impressed for a thrift store…read more Like my first visit, I was impressed with the cleanliness and organization of store. I've shopped full-price retail stores that are not this well organized. I liked that they have mens shirts separated by style. It made it easy to shop for short sleeve casual. I got lucky today and found three shirts. They were clean, had all their buttons and I didn't see any rips or holes. Once I rewash and iron them, they'' be ready to go. I went to use the self check-out and they had a young lady there who did it for you. She was great. She was perky, friendly, personable and professional. Other retailers would be lucky to have someone as good as her. I'm getting over my dislike of thrift shopping, so I'll be back.

A Savers in Alton! What a surprise; just happened to see the signage since we don't go to Alton…read moreoften. Much smaller than Fairview and Crestwood. Clean and, well organized. I purchase a lot of shoes from thrift stores. The shoe section was tiny. Book section was small too. Excellent linen section though. I almost bought a shower curtain; walked around with it but decided to leave it for someone else.

Are you a fashionista? If so, you need to make tracks to Jerseyville, IL and check out this new hot…read moreand trending women's boutique. Ivy + Blush is the type of boutique you'd typically find in Kirkwood or Webster Groves, MO. It has some of the coolest spa aka work-out outfits, cool new denim jeans, fun T-Shirts and the staple of all ladies wardrobe - a simple black dress. In addition to all they cool clothes, they have the accessories to complete the look. They even have purses that look like one of the top designers at a more reasonable price. Being a guy shopping with my cousin and helping her spend money at a ladies boutique, I found some locally made soy candles for myself. So it was a win for me, too. Jamie the owner is a delight and is hands on with her customers. I am so glad that one of my customers, told me about her find in Jerseyville. I shared it with my cuz, we made the road trip up to Jerseyville and was not disappointed. I can tell you, ladies that I buy gifts for - this is a shop I will be hitting up first. When: July 29, 2021 Why: Recommendation of a well dressed lady

Love the clothes! They are awesome! I love to shop there!…read moreThe prices are great too! The owner is very friendly and welcoming!

Sinclair Food is a family owned grocery store in a country town that does not have any of the local…read morechain grocers. It is good sized and also has a Chump Chicken restaurant in the front of the store. It looked pretty good in the case and there were several people enjoying a meal in the dining area. I thought the produce area was small, but what was there was fresh and presented well. I liked some of the packaged items, especially the package of onions. It had one of each type, red, white, yellow and Vandalia. Being a grocery in a community that is primarily farmers, the meat selection was fairly good. I liked that they had round steak already tenderized in the packaging. I grabbed a package of boneless pork chops that were a managers special. The variety of pantry items aka canned and dry goods, were not as large as you'd see in a city chain. I also thought the prices on these items were higher than what I see at my local chain grocer. The store generic brand was, Best Choice. The prices for that brand was much cheaper than the national brands of canned goods. I had a couple of interchanges with different employees and both were friendly and professional. When I was checking out, the cashier asked if I was part of their rewards and I told her no. I informed her it was my first visit to the store. She thanked me for coming in and hoped that I enjoyed my first experience. She then asked me if I'd like to sign up for the rewards program. I declined the opportunity since I lived a distance away and probably would not be shopping on the regular. However, when in town and in need something, I will be tempted to stop by again.

I have been going there since childhood. Love their fried or rotisserie chickens and get one…read moreweekly. They are very friendly and helpful

Bright colors and wrappers, it's surprising that this place isn't filled with parents shouting…read more"No!" to their kids over and over again. If you're looking for a sugar-filled snack to take on the plane, it's here. Lots of mass produced candy bars and candy bags available. They also have a wall of bulk candy and nuts - jelly beans, Reese's pieces, M&Ms and the like available for $1 per ounce. $16 per pound seems spendy to me but if you want to make up a trail mix bag with some of this and some of that, it's here. Mrs. wanted some licorice so I bought a box of that. Similar to what you would get the movie cinema concession and at similar prices. [Review 20001 overall - 278 in Missouri - 976 of 2023.]

Beer wine and spirits is sold here. A new location for me, located in a strip mall with plenty of…read moreparking. Great variety of beverages. Sodas , teas, individual bottles. Lottery sold here , plenty of snacks and candies. Prices reasonable, staff friendly. Store well lit and clear of clutter. Great neighborhood addition. I will definitely return for some limited seasonal items.