University students have been shopping at Bogart’s Casablanca, better known simply as “Bogart’s,” for over 25 years. But the store – located in Champaign on John Street and noted for selling an array of items from incense to jewelry – is expected to go out of business by the end of the month.

Fraya Replinger, a Bogart’s employee of three years, said while the Bogart’s people have known for years that it would no longer exist, the store could stay open under new ownership.

“It’s still up in the air,” she said. “There is a potential buyer, but we don’t know yet how the store would change if someone else does buy it.”

Replinger said the store, which opened in 1978, will be closing within the next two weeks because of increased competition from other businesses.

She said Bogart’s was once unique to the area, but that newer, more visible stores selling similar merchandise opened in recent years.

“New students come on campus and they don’t know about us,” Replinger said. “So they are more likely to go to the first stores they see to buy clothes, which usually isn’t here.”

Michael York, also an employee at the store, said Bogart’s had many loyal customers despite any dip in business.

Those customers could consistently find items such as clothes, candles, posters, pipes and even piercing services at the store, he said.

Replinger said Bogart’s has expanded a great deal since it first opened.

“Originally, they sold strictly pipes and incense, and they also used to offer hair braiding,” she said. “They eventually added clothes, jewelry and piercing.”

Louie Camardo, junior in ACES, said he had shopped at Bogart’s since his freshman year and thought it was the ideal store to find a variety of items in one place.

“It was a good place to stop and look around on the way home from class and it would be kind of disappointing not to be able to do that anymore,” Camardo said. “I’m glad I got to come and check it out every once in a while for three years.”

Beth Vaughn, sophomore in LAS, said she had shopped at Bogart’s for two years and enjoyed its surf-shop atmosphere.

“They had a lot of beach-type clothes and surf brands, plus jewelry and a lot of other things,” she said. “It was the only store like that I found around here.”

Vaughn said she was sorry to hear Bogart’s was going out of business, but she is eager to visit it once more before it closes.

“When I found out it was closing it made me want to hurry over to take advantage of any sales,” she said.

Replinger said it seems many customers are aware the store is going out of business.

“It’s been very busy since people found out,” she said. “A lot of people are going to miss Bogart’s and are coming around before it’s gone.”

York said he thought customers were attracted to the store because of its variety.

“There was something for everyone here,” he said.