At Home decorating store to open in former Elmhurst Kmart

ELMHURST – At Home, a home-decorating superstore chain, is slated to open a store in late August or early September at 265 S. Route 83 in Elmhurst, a 103,000-square-foot space where Kmart used to have a store.

At Home spokeswoman Carey Marin said May 29 the Elmhurst area has good density, incomes and co-tenants at the location that will drive traffic to the business.

"Overall, we were attracted to Elmhurst's vibrant economy, and we're excited to be a member of the community here," Marin said.

She added part of At Home's strategy is to look for second-generation store spaces, where big-box stores previously had stores, so that there is less overhead cost to opening the store.

This will be the fifth store in the Illinois market for the company, which has its corporate office in Plano, Texas. At Home opened a store in May at 2100 S. Randall Road in Geneva, and the company sees the Midwest as a growth area for business, Marin said.

At Home offers "endless decorating opportunities," said Marin, who added the store sells more than 50,000 products, with about 400 new products every week. Products include furniture, rugs and bedding, along with items for patios, bathrooms and kitchens.

"Our mission is to enable everyone to affordably have a home and to decorate that home affordably. ... We're focused on providing the broadest assortment of products for any room at any style or budget," she said.

The Elmhurst Kmart closed in November 2017, city of Elmhurst Business Development Coordinator Erin Jason said in an email May 29.

"We are extremely pleased to have a strong retailer make their home at one of Elmhurst's most vibrant and visible shopping centers," she said. "Though At Home is newer to the Chicagoland region, it has already gained a multitude of fans, and we expect that number to grow once their new Elmhurst location opens."

At Home also plans to hire about 25 employees for the store, Marin said. Prospective candidates can go to careers.athome.com to learn more.