Slurpees, beer and wine to the mall, Sears’ final weeks, another closing at Rockville Town Square

Construction starts next week on the most unexpected tenant at Westfield Montgomery mall: a full-service 7-Eleven, complete with Slurpees, snacks and convenience foods. This will be a big store, stretching all the way from the recently vacated MVP Supreme space to Shilla Bakery just outside the main Dining Terrace. Meanwhile, gourmet popsicle shop Frozen Stuff on a Stick will be closing after a brief run in the former B/Bop/Q space just across the hall. Owner Joel Rogozinski says the location has not been a good fit for his $4 fruit-based pops, kombucha and nitro-brewed coffee. He’s looking for a more outdoor-oriented shopping center and expects to reopen shortly in this area.

Shelves are getting emptier and lines are getting longer at the Westfield Montgomery Sears store, which is entering its final weeks in business. Shoppers are searching for last-minute treasures among merchandise that has been marked down by as much as 75 percent. What’s going to happen after Sears closes? (Hint: It involves dumbbells.) Click here for our Oct. 25th report. Where else can you shop for Lands’ End? Click here.

New place to shop and sip: Shuvam Beer and Wine opened Jan. 1 at the Westlake Crossing shopping center just outside Westfield Montgomery mall. Owner Shreejana Ghimire, who operates several similar shops in Montgomery County, says this one will specialize in high-end wines, champagnes and IPAs. “Whatever the customers in this area are looking for, I will special-order it for them,” he says. Friday night tastings are also in the works. Call 301-469-0263 for more.

LiquidBlue Denim Boutique, one of the longest-running tenants at Rockville Town Square, is closing its doors after five years on Maryland Avenue. The store originally focused on designer denim, but its merchandise shifted over the years as fashions evolved and shoppers lost interest in $200 jeans. “It’s very sad, but the boutique industry is slowly going away in Maryland,” says owner Jo Akin, who watched several nearby businesses exit last fall as she decided whether to renew her lease. Despite the reopening of Dawson’s Market and the comeback of the flood-damaged Samovar restaurant, Akin decided it was best to move on. “Rockville has had a hard time of it,” she says. “I hope the community reinvests in its local small businesses.”