A windblown banner outside Aurora’s Cosmopolitan Marketplaces promised a 25 percent off sale last week. But inside the store appeared to be conducting a going-out-of-business sale.

The crooked, wind-blown banner outside Aurora’s Cosmopolitan Marketplace promoted a 25 percent off inventory sale.

But inside, the five-month-old combination grocery/home goods/appliance store had the look of a going-out-of-business sale.

A visit to Cosmopolitan Marketplace last Saturday revealed a store with empty bakery, butcher and produce departments, a shuttered restaurant and picked over grocery and home goods items in many other parts of the cavernous store.

Several dozen customers wandered through the store seeking bargains, with some shelves with signs stating all sales were final.

The look was familiar to shoppers who had witnessed the shutdown of area Dominick’s grocery stores two years ago this month.

It’s a far cry from a June, when the City of Aurora touted a grand opening on its Facebook page and customers entered a spacious, well-stocked story with unique decor, layout and strings of LED lighting.

“With everything from a 30,000 square foot bakery, a 60,000 square foot meat processing center, restaurant, coffee and espresso bar, grocery store complete with deli, dairy, and produce, electronics, housewares and major appliances, Cosmopolitan Marketplace is open and ready to serve — complete with dazzling chandeliers,” the city of Aurora said.

Employees had no information on the Cosmopolitan’s status and store officials have been tightlipped when asked if the store was closing, according to recent reports.

An advertising flyer on the Cosmopolitan web side running through Oct. 27 offered a wide range of sale items from fresh meat, fish, produce and bakery items plus packaged and canned goods.

But there was no new advertising flyer for Halloween week and the web site offered no information on the store’s status.

A Facebook entry dated Oct. 29 simply promoted a larger sale.

“We have expanded our sale, stop in for 25% OFF all grocery items,” it stated.

Located in a former Lowes home improvement store on the southeast corner of Orchard Road and Indian Trail, Cosmopolitan Marketplace opened in June after a lengthy interior and exterior conversion.

— Flashy Cosmopolitan market may soon turn out the lights —