ShopKo Stores
Encyclopedia
Shopko is a chain of retail stores based in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin
, near Green Bay
. With approximately 16,000 employees, the company has a presence in 13 states, and generates annual sales of approximately $2.2 billion. Shopko was founded in 1962 by James Ruben, and its first store opened at 216 S. Military Avenue in Green Bay. From 1991 to 2005, the company was publicly held, with stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol SKO. In December 2005, the company was acquired by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners and reverted to private ownership. In 1999, Shopko purchased Pamida
, a regional discount chain that operated mainly in smaller communities of 3,000 to 8,000 people. Shopko operated Pamida as a separate division until 2007, when Pamida was separated from Shopko and reestablished as a separate company.
The company operates 135 stores located in 13 states including Northern California
, Iowa
, Idaho
, Illinois
, Michigan
's Upper Peninsula, Minnesota
, Montana
, Nebraska
, Oregon
, South Dakota
, Utah
, Washington, and Wisconsin
. Shopko once had a presence in Missouri
, Kansas
, Kentucky
, and Indiana
until the first round of store closings in 2001, in Colorado
until July 2005, and in Nevada
until November 2005. These stores are placed in small to mid-sized communities. Such stores are multi-department operations. Shopko has distribution centers in De Pere, Wisconsin
, Omaha, Nebraska
, and Boise, Idaho
.
Shopko once had a presence in Ohio
, as part of the Twin Valu
hypermarket
concept from 1989 to 1995.
Chicago
pharmacist
James Ruben moved to Green Bay and opened the first Shopco store at 216 S. Military Avenue in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1962. He envisioned a larger retail store with health care services combined with the retail operations. As a result, Shopco became one of the first chains to offer services such as a pharmacy and an eye care center within the store. The name was later changed to "ShopKo" by dropping the "c" and replacing it with an uppercase "K". In 2007, the logo was updated and the spelling was changed to "Shopko" with a lower case "k" at the suggestion of Columbus, Ohio
based retail design firm, Chute Gerdeman Retail. Shopko Express stores retained the older style logo until fall 2008, when a new store in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin was opened.
Shopko, with partnerships from Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Bellin Health and other local hospitals, also operates walk-in clinics inside their stores called FastCare.
Most Shopko stores are located in strip malls, shopping malls, power centers, or freestanding locations.
Past slogans include "Say hello to a good buy at ShopKo", "ShopKo discounts the price...not the quality.", "We won't be undersold.", "ShopKo: Discover the Difference", "ShopKo: The store for you.", "ShopKo - Your Lifestyle, Your Pricestyle." and "Neat stuff, neat store." Their current slogan is "My life...my style...my store" and has been in use since 2006. The slogan for Shopko Express pharmacy is "Every day. On your way."
Shopko also sponsors the exhibition hall venue portion of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena
/Resch Center
complex, which is known as Shopko Hall (formerly known as the Brown County Expo Center).
and Kewaunee, Wisconsin
inside converted Pamida locations. The third Shopko Hometown location opened in Seymour, Wisconsin
on September 19, 2011. A fourth store is planned for Brillion, Wisconsin
.
, leasing the chain floorspace within Shopko stores, thus replacing the previous contract with J. Baker, Inc. as the retailer in charge of the discount shoe department. This contract, which included Payless signage both inside and outside the stores, as well as visible uniform differences between Shopko and Payless employees, marked a change from the previous Shopko policy of "two companies one store". The change-over to Payless was completed by late June 2000.
Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin
Ashwaubenon is a village in Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 17,634, however many village signs still reflect the 1990 census figure of 17,777. Ashwaubenon is a suburb of Green Bay, Wisconsin and is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan...
, near Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
. With approximately 16,000 employees, the company has a presence in 13 states, and generates annual sales of approximately $2.2 billion. Shopko was founded in 1962 by James Ruben, and its first store opened at 216 S. Military Avenue in Green Bay. From 1991 to 2005, the company was publicly held, with stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
under the symbol SKO. In December 2005, the company was acquired by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners and reverted to private ownership. In 1999, Shopko purchased Pamida
Pamida
Pamida is a chain of department stores with more than 175 locations in 16 Midwestern and West Central U.S. states. Pamida stores are generally located in smaller communities that range from 3,000 to 8,000 in population...
, a regional discount chain that operated mainly in smaller communities of 3,000 to 8,000 people. Shopko operated Pamida as a separate division until 2007, when Pamida was separated from Shopko and reestablished as a separate company.
Shopko
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's Upper Peninsula, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Washington, and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Shopko once had a presence in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
until the first round of store closings in 2001, in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
until July 2005, and in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
until November 2005. These stores are placed in small to mid-sized communities. Such stores are multi-department operations. Shopko has distribution centers in De Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere is a city located in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 20,559 at the 2000 census. De Pere is a suburb of Green Bay and is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Registered historic places:...
, Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, and Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
.
Shopko once had a presence in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, as part of the Twin Valu
Twin Valu
Twin Valu is a defunct U.S. Hypermarket and was one of the first hypermarkets in the Akron, Ohio, area. The original Twin Valu store was located on Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The 10 million dollar, store was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...
hypermarket
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
concept from 1989 to 1995.
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
James Ruben moved to Green Bay and opened the first Shopco store at 216 S. Military Avenue in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1962. He envisioned a larger retail store with health care services combined with the retail operations. As a result, Shopco became one of the first chains to offer services such as a pharmacy and an eye care center within the store. The name was later changed to "ShopKo" by dropping the "c" and replacing it with an uppercase "K". In 2007, the logo was updated and the spelling was changed to "Shopko" with a lower case "k" at the suggestion of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
based retail design firm, Chute Gerdeman Retail. Shopko Express stores retained the older style logo until fall 2008, when a new store in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin was opened.
Shopko, with partnerships from Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Bellin Health and other local hospitals, also operates walk-in clinics inside their stores called FastCare.
Most Shopko stores are located in strip malls, shopping malls, power centers, or freestanding locations.
Past slogans include "Say hello to a good buy at ShopKo", "ShopKo discounts the price...not the quality.", "We won't be undersold.", "ShopKo: Discover the Difference", "ShopKo: The store for you.", "ShopKo - Your Lifestyle, Your Pricestyle." and "Neat stuff, neat store." Their current slogan is "My life...my style...my store" and has been in use since 2006. The slogan for Shopko Express pharmacy is "Every day. On your way."
Shopko also sponsors the exhibition hall venue portion of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena
Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena
The Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena is a 5,248-seat multi-purpose arena, in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, situated on the corner of Lombardi Avenue and Oneida Street, across from Lambeau Field...
/Resch Center
Resch Center
The Resch Center is a 10,200 seat multi-purpose arena, in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.Built in 2002, it is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team, the Green Bay Gamblers ice hockey team, Green Bay Chill and the Green Bay Blizzard arena football teams.The arena...
complex, which is known as Shopko Hall (formerly known as the Brown County Expo Center).
Shopko Express
Shopko Express is a chain of pharmacies owned by Shopko. Shopko Express carries a limited selection of general merchandise, groceries, beer, wine, health and beauty supplies, and over-the-counter medicines. Shopko Express also carries lottery tickets.Shopko Hometown
The newest concept by Shopko aimed at smaller communities ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 in population, and carry about 70% of the merchandise carried at Shopko's larger stores. The first two stores are expected to open in 2010 in Oconto, WisconsinOconto, Wisconsin
Oconto is a city in Oconto County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,708 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located partially within the town of Oconto.-History:...
and Kewaunee, Wisconsin
Kewaunee, Wisconsin
Kewaunee is a city in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,806 at the 2000 census. Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the city is the county seat of Kewaunee County....
inside converted Pamida locations. The third Shopko Hometown location opened in Seymour, Wisconsin
Seymour, Wisconsin
Seymour is a city in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,451 at the 2010 census. The city is located within the Town of Seymour and the Town of Osborn.-History:...
on September 19, 2011. A fourth store is planned for Brillion, Wisconsin
Brillion, Wisconsin
Brillion is a city in Calumet County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,937 at the 2000 census. The city is located within the Town of Brillion, though it is politically independent.-Notable residents:...
.
Payless ShoeSource
Although not a part of the Shopko organization, in 1999, Shopko signed a contract with Payless ShoeSourcePayless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource is a discount footwear retailer founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1956 that is owned by Collective Brands, Inc. In 1961, it became a public company as the Volume Shoe Corporation which merged with the May Department Stores Company in 1979. In the 1980s, Payless was widely known in the...
, leasing the chain floorspace within Shopko stores, thus replacing the previous contract with J. Baker, Inc. as the retailer in charge of the discount shoe department. This contract, which included Payless signage both inside and outside the stores, as well as visible uniform differences between Shopko and Payless employees, marked a change from the previous Shopko policy of "two companies one store". The change-over to Payless was completed by late June 2000.
1960s
- March 1961: Green Bay Mayor Roman DenissenRoman Denissen-Biography:Denissen was born on July 13, 1918 in Bellevue, Wisconsin. His father, Matt, was Supervisor of Bellevue. Denissen would marry Ursula Carmody in 1939. They would have one son before her passing in 1983. In 1984, he married Agnes Le Clair. She passed away in 2003. Denissen died on January...
and Shopco Stores, led by Chicago pharmacist James Ruben and a group of investors, announce plans for a $1 million department storeDepartment storeA department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
on Military Avenue. - April 1962: The first ShopKo (the spelling was changed since the initial announcement) opens at 216 S. Military Ave. A local grocery storeGrocery storeA grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
, Sure Way (later acquired by the Jubilee Foods chain) shares part of the building until its closure in 2004. - July 1966: ShopKo East opens at 1819 Main St.
- September 1969: First Shopko store in MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
opens on Washington St. in MarquetteMarquette, MichiganMarquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
1970s
- June 1970: Ruben announces plans for corporate headquarters on Ashland Avenue in Ashwaubenon.
- June 1970: ShopKo Corp. becomes ShopKo Stores, Inc.
- January 1971: ShopKo announces plans to merge with SuperValuSupervalu (United States)SuperValu Inc. is a United States grocery retailer and distributor. The corporation, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has been in business for over a century. It is the third-largest food retailing company in the United States , and ranks #51 on the Fortune 100 list.On June 2, 2006,...
of Minneapolis. - January 1971: New Ashwaubenon headquarters opens.
- April 1971: Merger with SuperValu is completed.
- August 1971: Company announces plans to start putting pharmacies in its stores.
- September 1972: William Tyrrell is named the new president; Ruben left Green Bay to become group vice president and director of SuperValu Stores.
- 1977: With 21 stores, ShopKo exceeds $100 million in sales.
- 1978: Expansion of Ashland Avenue headquarters.
- 1978: ShopKo opens its first optical center.
- November 1979: New Ashwaubenon store opens a few months before the opening of Bay Park SquareBay Park SquareBay Park Square is a shopping mall owned by Simon Property Group, in the Green Bay, Wisconsin suburb of Ashwaubenon, in the United States. The mall opened in 1980 under the ownership of DeBartolo Corporation...
shopping center.
1980s
- 1981: Second expansion of Ashland Avenue headquarters.
- 1981: ShopKo opens its 30th store.
- 1984: Company begins looking for new space for corporate offices; De Pere, Green Bay and out-of-state sites are under consideration.
- May 1986: ShopKo announces it will stay headquartered in the Green Bay area.
- 1987: Construction begins on new headquarters on 46 acres (186,155.6 m²) site just east of Bay Park Square; the building opens in 1988.
- June 1988: ShopKo opens 7 new stores in Utah, located in SandySandy, UtahSandy is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah....
, MurrayMurray, UtahMurray is a city situated on the Wasatch Front in the core of Salt Lake Valley in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for territorial governor Eli Murray, it is the state's fourteenth largest city. According to the 2010 census, Murray has approximately 46,746 residents.Murray is close to Salt Lake City,...
, TaylorsvilleTaylorsville, UtahTaylorsville is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 57,439 at the 2000 census...
, ProvoProvo, UtahProvo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, OgdenOgden, UtahOgden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, LaytonLayton, Utah-External links:*...
, and West JordanWest Jordan, UtahWest Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
. - 1988: With 87 stores, the company exceeds $1 billion in sales.
- 1988: ShopKo announces a new east-side store will go in at East Town Mall, replacing the 1819 Main St. store. The Main St. location was later home to Copps Food Center which operated at this location from the early 1990s to August 5, 2008 and is replaced with a new store on the site of the former Marcus CinemaMarcus CorporationThe Marcus Corporation is a publicly held company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company operates two principal divisions: Marcus Theatres and Marcus Hotels and Resorts. One of the company's principal assets, Baymont Motels, was sold to La Quinta Corporation in 2003...
movie theaterMovie theaterA movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
located next door. The former ShopKo/Copps building is expected to be replaced with a Planet FitnessPlanet fitnessPlanet Fitness is an American franchise of fitness centers based in Dover, New Hampshire. Each gym features exercise equipment and personal trainers to assist its members. It markets itself as a "Judgement Free Zone", though somewhat controversially it has rules in place to discourage deadlifters...
by 2011. - February 1989: ShopKo and SuperValu introduce Twin ValuTwin ValuTwin Valu is a defunct U.S. Hypermarket and was one of the first hypermarkets in the Akron, Ohio, area. The original Twin Valu store was located on Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The 10 million dollar, store was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...
, a hypermarket concept, in Cuyahoga Falls, OhioCuyahoga Falls, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 49,374 people, 21,655 households, and 13,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,932.9 people per square mile . There were 22,727 housing units at an average density of 889.7 per square mile...
that combines the general merchandise of ShopKo with the grocery selection of Cub FoodsCub FoodsCub Foods is a supermarket chain with seventy-three stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based SuperValu...
.
1990s
- 1990: ShopKo opens its 100th store.
- 1990: ShopKo opens its first and only location in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in Redding, CaliforniaRedding, CaliforniaRedding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
on 55 Lake Boulevard. - June 1991: SuperValu announces ShopKo will spin off as a publicly held company.
- Summer 1991: Dale Kramer becomes the company's third president.
- October 1991: In an initial public offering, ShopKo stock is offered at $15 a share.
- December 1991: ShopKo introduces its "Vision 2000" prototype store, designed by Chip Chustz and James Smekal, and plans to remodel most of their stores to the Vision 2000 style. The new style incorporates a new red, white, and blue logo utilizing a variant of the Crillee font, replaces orange with gray as a base color, and uses red and navy blue as accent colors. The "Vision 2000" prototypes opened in Sheboygan, WisconsinSheboygan, Wisconsin-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
, Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, Dixon, IllinoisDixon, IllinoisDixon is a city in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,733 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,941 at the 2000 census. Named for its founder, John Dixon , it is the county seat of Lee County. Located on the Rock River, Dixon was the boyhood home of former U.S...
, Loveland, ColoradoLoveland, ColoradoLoveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...
, Longmont, ColoradoLongmont, ColoradoLongmont is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Longmont is located in Northern Colorado. Longmont is the 13th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The word "Longmont" comes from Longs Peak, a prominent mountain named for explorer Stephen H....
, and Lacey, WashingtonLacey, WashingtonLacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Established as a suburb of Olympia, its population was 42,393 at the 2010 census out of a county population of 252,264.-History:...
, as well as relocated stores in Marshall, MinnesotaMarshall, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 12,735 people, 4,914 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,537.0 people per square mile . There were 5,182 housing units at an average density of 625.4 per square mile...
, and Mitchell, South DakotaMitchell, South Dakota-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,558 people, 6,121 households, and 3,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,475.7 people per square mile . There were 6,555 housing units at an average density of 664.4 per square mile...
. - September 1996: A merger is announced with Phar-MorPhar-MorPhar-Mor was a United States chain of discount drug stores, based in Youngstown, Ohio, and founded by Michael "Mickey" Monus and David S. Shapira in 1982. Some of its stores used the names Pharmhouse and Rx Place...
of Youngstown, OhioYoungstown, OhioYoungstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. - 1997: ShopKo acquires Penn-Daniels Inc., a retailer operating 18 Jacks Discount Stores.
- April 1997: Phar-Mor deal falls apart.
- April 1997: ShopKo announces it will secure independence from SuperValu by buying back the other company's 46 percent share of ShopKo stock.
- July 1997: Buy-back from SuperValu completed.
- November 1997: ShopKo bans all tobacco products, including cigarettes, from their stores.
- 1998: ShopKo enters new markets formerly served by Venture StoresVenture StoresVenture Stores, Inc., was a chain of retail stores that operated in the American Midwest. The company operated over 70 stores with major market share in St. Louis, Chicago and Kansas City, being headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of O'Fallon, Missouri....
by buying up most of their former locations in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, and Iowa. Those locations were leased from Kimco Realty. - March 1999: William Podany becomes president and chief executive officer.
- March 1999: ShopKo announces record earnings for 1998 — earning $55.6 million or $2.23 per share.
- May 1999: ShopKo announces it will buy the 147-store Pamida chain for $375 million.
- July 1999: ShopKo begins selling stock for ProVantage, a prescription benefits company that helped spur ShopKo's growth.
- September 1999: ShopKo opens its first test prototype store in Meridian, IdahoMeridian, Idaho-History:The town was established in 1891 on the Onweiler farm north of the present site and was called Hunter. Two years later an I.O.O.F. lodge was organized and called itself Meridian because it was located on the Boise Meridian and the town was renamed...
, nicknamed "Beyond 2000," referencing ShopKo's then-new Beyond 2000 merchandising strategy, the successor to the Vision 2000 strategy of the early 1990s.
2000s
- March 2000: ShopKo reports record earnings of $3.57 per share in 2000, up 70% from the year before.
- May 2000: ShopKo announces it will sell ProVantage to Merck & Co.Merck & Co.Merck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...
for about $222 million. - January 2001: ShopKo announces it will close 23 stores and cut 2,500 jobs, including 136 at corporate headquarters. ShopKo exits the Missouri, Indiana, Kansas, and Kentucky markets. ShopKo also closes the distribution center in Quincy, IllinoisQuincy, IllinoisQuincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
. - April 2002: Podany resigns as president and CEO; Jeffrey Girard replaces him on an interim basis.
- October 2002: Sam Duncan becomes president and CEO.
- January 2005: ShopKo opens three ShopKo Express stores, smaller stores competing with WalgreensWalgreensWalgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
and CVS/pharmacy. - July 2005: ShopKo closes their Colorado stores.
- November 2005: The ShopKo stores in Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
close because of a poor economic climate. - December 2005: ShopKo is acquired by private investment group Sun Capital Partners.
- May 2006: Michael R. MacDonald becomes CEO.
- 2007: Pamida was spun off to form a separate company, headquartered in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, still owned by the same investment group. - May 2007: Ground breaking begins on a new 80000 ft (24,384 m).2 Shopko store to anchor the Urban Edge retail/entertainment development in Suamico, WisconsinSuamico, Wisconsin"Suamico" redirects here. For the Oconto County town, see Little Suamico, Wisconsin.Suamico is a village in Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 8,686 at the 2000 census. The neighborhood community of Flintville is located within the village...
. A new Shopko logo is introduced. The new logo replaces the one used since 1991. The company also dropped the 'CamelCaseCamelCaseCamelCase , also known as medial capitals, is the practice of writing compound words or phrases in which the elements are joined without spaces, with each element's initial letter capitalized within the compound and the first letter either upper or lower case—as in "LaBelle", "BackColor",...
K' in its logo after 45 years. - September 2007: Shopko began construction on two new Shopko Express stores in the Appleton, WisconsinAppleton, WisconsinAppleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
area, which opened in July 2008 - March 2008: Shopko opens its Suamico, Wisconsin location. Shopko announces an 80000 square feet (7,432.2 m²) prototype store in Iowa and an 80000 square feet (7,432.2 m²) store to anchor the Market Place in North Branch, MinnesotaNorth Branch, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 8,023 people, 2,815 households, and 2,147 families residing in the city. The population density was 224.9 people per square mile . There were 2,900 housing units at an average density of 81.3 per square mile...
. Shopko announces a Shopko Express Pharmacy location for downtown Green Bay. - November 3, 2008: Shopko Express opens its downtown Green Bay location.
- April 3, 2009: Michael MacDonald resigns as chairman and CEO, to become chairman and CEO of DSWDSW, Inc.-History:DSW opened its first store in July 1991 in Dublin, Ohio. In 1998, Value City Department Stores, Inc. purchased DSW. In December 2004, Retail Ventures, Inc. consolidated several brands. Until July 5, 2005, DSW operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc...
. W. Paul Jones takes over. - October 27, 2009: Shopko announces the closing of its first and only urban Shopko Express Rx location in Green Bay, Wisconsin, almost a year after it opened.
- November 2009: Shopko introduces online shopping to their website.
2010s
- May 2010: Shopko outsources its IT services to HCL TechnologiesHCL TechnologiesHCL Technologies Limited is a leading global IT services company headquartered in Noida, India. It is primarily engaged in providing a range of software services, business process outsourcing and infrastructure services. HCL Technologies is fourth largest IT company in India and is ranked 48 in...
, based out of Noida, India. - Summer 2010: Shopko acquires Pamida stores in Oconto, WisconsinOconto, WisconsinOconto is a city in Oconto County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,708 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located partially within the town of Oconto.-History:...
and Kewaunee, WisconsinKewaunee, WisconsinKewaunee is a city in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,806 at the 2000 census. Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the city is the county seat of Kewaunee County....
and convert them to a new Shopko store format, known as Shopko Hometown. - Summer 2011: Shopko Hometown opens stores in Abbotsford, WisconsinAbbotsford, WisconsinAbbotsford is a city in Clark and Marathon counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,310 at the 2010 census...
, Brillion, WisconsinBrillion, WisconsinBrillion is a city in Calumet County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,937 at the 2000 census. The city is located within the Town of Brillion, though it is politically independent.-Notable residents:...
, Chilton, WisconsinChilton, WisconsinChilton is a city in and county seat of Calumet County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,708 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Chilton.-History:...
, Kiel, WisconsinKiel, WisconsinKiel is a city in Calumet and Manitowoc Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,450 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly within Manitowoc County, though a portion extends west into adjacent Calumet County....
, Seymour, WisconsinSeymour, WisconsinSeymour is a city in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,451 at the 2010 census. The city is located within the Town of Seymour and the Town of Osborn.-History:...
, Mora, MinnesotaMora, MinnesotaMora is a city in and the county seat of Kanabec County in the central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located at the junction of Minnesota State Highways 23 and 65. The population was 3,571 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Princeton, MinnesotaPrinceton, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 3,933 people, 1,624 households, and 998 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.7 people per square mile . There were 1,670 housing units at an average density of 376.9 per square mile...
, Calumet, MichiganCalumet, MichiganCalumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National...
, and Ishpeming, MichiganIshpeming, MichiganIshpeming is a city in Marquette County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,686 at the 2000 census. This is down from a higher population in the 1950s and 1960s when the economically supportive iron ore mines had a much higher employment level...
. - September 17, 2011: Shopko annnounced they will be closing their stores in Springfield, IllinoisSpringfield, IllinoisSpringfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, to fo focus more on their Hometown brand. These locations were part of the Jack's acquisition in 1997 and will be converted to Farm & Home Supply stores.
See also
- P.M. Place StoresP.M. Place StoresP.M. Place Stores, also known as Place's Discount Stores was a Bethany, Missouri-based, employee-owned chain of discount stores in the United States. The company primarily operated in towns with a population of 1,500 to 4,000 people in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.-Origins:P.M. Place...
- SuperValuSupervalu (United States)SuperValu Inc. is a United States grocery retailer and distributor. The corporation, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has been in business for over a century. It is the third-largest food retailing company in the United States , and ranks #51 on the Fortune 100 list.On June 2, 2006,...
- PamidaPamidaPamida is a chain of department stores with more than 175 locations in 16 Midwestern and West Central U.S. states. Pamida stores are generally located in smaller communities that range from 3,000 to 8,000 in population...
- Twin ValuTwin ValuTwin Valu is a defunct U.S. Hypermarket and was one of the first hypermarkets in the Akron, Ohio, area. The original Twin Valu store was located on Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The 10 million dollar, store was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...
- Phar-MorPhar-MorPhar-Mor was a United States chain of discount drug stores, based in Youngstown, Ohio, and founded by Michael "Mickey" Monus and David S. Shapira in 1982. Some of its stores used the names Pharmhouse and Rx Place...
- VentureVenture StoresVenture Stores, Inc., was a chain of retail stores that operated in the American Midwest. The company operated over 70 stores with major market share in St. Louis, Chicago and Kansas City, being headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of O'Fallon, Missouri....