By Emily Enfinger | The Selma Times-Journal

Pickering’s Superette in Plantersville reopened Monday, Jan. 4 with a new name, look and services.

“We’ve remodeled it over the course of the last year, and it’s now Pickering’s QV,” said Rusty Davis, co-owner.

Davis said they spent eight months remodeling the store, which was closed in November and December to wrap up construction.

Pickering’s QV, has operated under several ownerships since 1979 and is now currently owned by Davis, Sandy Harrell and Leanne Harrell.

Davis said he has been an owner of the store for four years and became partners with Sandy and Leanne about a year ago.

Pickering’s QV renovations include new features such as an expansion of roughly 800 square feet, a beer cave, larger cashier station, new 13-door cooler and deli.

“It’s completely different now,” Davis said.

He said pretty much everything in the store is new, from the coolers to the tile floor, and they are planning on including gasoline services in the near future.

“We are going to be a QV gas station when it is all said and done,” Davis said. “We finished the remodel on the store. The next project is the gasoline pumps.”

Davis said the store has been operated by him and his family during the past four years, but now with the expansion they are able to add staff as well. Davis said they will be able to have 15 employees, three times more than before.

“That’s a plus for our community, to be able to hire people that are local,” Davis said. “And we are excited about that.”

Davis said a unique thing about Pickering’s QV is that it is the only convenience type store in a six mile span.

Pickering’s QV has undergone exterior cosmetic changes too. The building was originally red brick with green trim. Now the brick has been painted grey and complemented with red trim.

Davis said the renovations have gotten positive responses from frequent and long-time shoppers.

“If you stand there and listen the first thing they say is, ‘Wow,’ when they walk in the door,” Davis said. “That’s exactly what I wanted them to say when they walked in the door.”

He said they are planning to have a grand opening for Pickering’s QV after the gasoline services have been installed. He said they don’t have an expected date for the rest of the projects to be completed, but he expects them to be done within the next few months.

Pickering’s QV is located on 18686 Alabama 22 in Plantersville. They are open Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday.