One key measure of Kewanee’s economy continues to trend upward.
Second-quarter 2025 retail sales were released recently and showed an 11.2% increase over the same period of 2024.
“Things are looking good in Kewanee,” said Mark Mikenas, executive director of the Kewanee Chamber of Commerce. “Hopefully we can keep this going and have 2025 be another record-breaking year.”
Category gainers were general merchandise 2.9%, food 7.8%, apparel 60%, lumber/building supplies 13.4% and drug and small retail 70%.
The larger-than-normal increases in apparel and small retail may be caused by certain accounting practices by the state of Illinois, Mikenas said. “But both categories locally and statewide had positive growth,” he added.
A spot check to a sample of businesses in those categories did show that significant increases were reported, Mikenas said.
For the first six months of 2025 Kewanee is 13% ahead of 2024 sales, he said.
Sales in 2024 for the first six months were $129 million; they were $147 million this year.
2024 sales were a record setting $271 million.
The inflation rate in the United States over the 12 months ending in August 2025 was 2.9%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This means the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items rose by 2.9% during that period.
