Shopko

Shopko Stores Operating Co., LLC
Private
Industry Retail
Founded April 5, 1962
Headquarters Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States
Number of locations
357 (July 2015)
Area served

Shopko: California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin

Shopko Express: Wisconsin

Shopko Hometown: Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming
Key people
James Ruben, founder
Peter McMahon, CEO
Products Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, market, housewares, contact lenses.
Owner Sun Capital Partners
Number of employees
16,900
Slogan The Stuff that Counts.
Website Shopko.com

Shopko (formerly ShopKo until May 2007) is a chain of retail stores based in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. Shopko was founded in 1962 by James Ruben, and its first store opened 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. In 2012, Shopko and Pamida merged into one company. Shortly after, most Pamida stores were rebranded as Shopko Hometown.

History

Chicago pharmacist James Ruben moved to Green Bay where he opened the first Shopco store at 216 S. Military Avenue 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 such services as a pharmacy and 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". Shopko Express stores retained the older style logo until fall 2008, when a new store in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin was opened.

Timeline

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

ShopKo's "Vision 2000" logo used from December 1991 to May 2007. Shopko still uses this logo on some locations.

2000s

2010s

Organization

Shopko

Current store facade at Houghton, Michigan location.
The first Shopko store in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the marker commemorating its status.
The 1999 "Beyond 2000" prototype store in Meridian, Idaho.

The company operates over 300 stores in 20 states including California, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Stores are typically placed in small to mid-sized communities. Most Shopko stores are located in strip malls, shopping malls, power centers, or freestanding locations. Shopko, with partnerships from Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Bellin Health and other local hospitals, also operates walk-in clinics inside its stores called FastCare.

Shopko has distribution centers in De Pere, Wisconsin, Omaha, Nebraska and Boise, Idaho.

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.", "Neat stuff, neat store." and "My life...my style...my store". Shopko introduced its slogan "The Stuff that Counts" in 2015. 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.[13]

Subsidiaries

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

In 2012 Shopko acquired Pamida and all former Pamida locations now operate as Shopko Hometown stores. Shopko Hometown stores are aimed at smaller communities ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 in population. They carry about 70% of the merchandise of Shopko's larger stores. The first two stores opened in 2010 in Oconto, Wisconsin and Kewaunee, Wisconsin inside converted Pamida locations.[7] The newest of the stores opened in Tomahawk, Wisconsin and Oconomowoc, Wisconsin on November 2013. In 2015, 20 locations were acquired from the bankrupt ALCO Stores chain, and were converted into Shopko Hometown stores.[14]

Payless ShoeSource

Main article: Payless ShoeSource

In 1999, Shopko signed a contract with Payless ShoeSource, leasing the floorspace to the shoe chain within Shopko stores, replacing the previous contract with J. Baker, Inc. as the retailer in charge of the discount shoe department. The changeover to Payless was completed by late June 2000.

Acquisitions

Distribution

Shopko's distribution centers are located in De Pere, Wisconsin, Omaha, Nebraska, and Boise, Idaho.

See also

References

External links

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