Over the past few years numerous business chains have moved to Whitewater, with more expected to arrive soon. Two Kwik Trips, Ace Hardware, Pet Supplies Plus, Dollar General, Starbucks and Aldi have all opened their doors to the public within the past two years. A Dollar Tree is expected to open within the first quarter of 2025.
For years community members primarily shopped at Walmart for basic necessities, such as groceries and clothing, making it a busy place for all. An influx in recent years of additional stores with different specialties offer alternative options to find what consumers need.
(Jayden Kimpel)
“We had to go out of town to get basic necessities that Walmart couldn’t provide,” said Gigi Smith, a Whitewater resident of 10 years. “Walmart is pretty limited in their selection, so we were forced to travel to Janesville or Fort Atkinson to get what we needed. It’s frustrating.”
The travel time to Janesville or Fort Atkinson ranges from 20 to 30 minutes by car. With gas prices fluctuating from $2.30 and above, community members are emptying their wallets faster getting basic necessities.
Businesses in Whitewater are also more concentrated on the West side of town, nearest to the university. To travel from the East side to the West side, it takes 10 minutes by car to travel three miles, along with staggering arrival times due to traffic lights along Main St.
“I’d like to see more businesses on the East side of Whitewater,” said Smith. “It seems like there is nothing past N. Jefferson St. There’s also a bunch of empty buildings on Milwaukee St. as well. I’d like to see more clothing stores or some small businesses make their way over here.”
With more and more businesses making their arrival to Whitewater, community members are in hopes of more clothing stores and shops dedicated to children and families.
“With Whitewater being a primarily college town, I like seeing that the new businesses have affordable options,” said Molly Malec. “I’d like to see more, though. Having more retail stores, like clothing or children’s stores, will probably bring in more families. I also like how these new businesses are giving students and community members more opportunities for employment so that they don’t have to worry about traveling for work.”
With more and more new businesses making their way into Whitewater, opportunities for employment will grow, along with the variety of goods available for purchase.
