Which of these discount stores would you like to see expand into New England in the future?

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

The choices are:

Shopko

Shopko, a regional discount store chain based out of my current hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin. This retail chain is comparable to past retailers like Ames, Jamesway and Hills in the fact that they all have big emphasis on hardlines and softlines. Other features include a Payless ShoeSource, 1 hour photo, pharmacy, and optical center, as well as an area devoted to showcasing ready-to-assemble furniture. They also have an electronics department that carries the latest in home entertainment, as well as jewelery, bedding, housewares, pet supplies, toys, and a limited selection of groceries. Shopko has all of the major name brands, such as Rubbermaid, LEGO, Kodak, Nintendo, Pepsi, Nabisco, Iams, Charmin, Black & Decker, Mattel, etc.

Meijer

Meijer, a hypermarket chain based out of Walker, Michigan. They offer all kinds of merchandise, including groceries, hardlines, and softlines, as well as jewelery, shoes, toys, electronics, housewares, and pet supplies. These stores are more comparable to the 'supercenter' concepts started by the likes of Walmart, Kmart, and Target.

[jmcnamara96]

I dont know either store but thats cause im from New England (NH)

[AmesNewington]

Both sound nice. I can't think of which one I'd rather have. I do know that they could maybe take the spaces of the former Circuit City stores if no other electronic stores want to move to New England. They might be small spaces, but CC was equally distributed through much of NE, so there would be many locations available to these stores. It would be nice to have a third option for a discount department store. What do you do if Wal Mart or Target doesn't have it? K-Mart is not exactly down the road from everyone these days.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

I haven't seen any action on this poll since June 10th. I'm still anxious to see what everyone else votes for. Only two votes have been made so far.

[videogamer75]

I chose Shopko

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Most ShopKo stores are between 80,000 and 110,000 square feet in size. ShopKo stores are big enough to fit in any former Ames, Bradlees, Jamesway, Hills, Zayre, Woolco, or Caldor location. Most larger ShopKo locations have wider aisles, furniture departments, pharmacy and optical, Payless ShoeSource boutiques, customer service, and FastCare walk-in clinics that could be run by your local hospital. ShopKo could fill the niche that former Ames and Hills customers were looking for in a retailer in the last couple of years, considering most ShopKo serves a lot of quasi-rural communities in the Upper Midwest, Mountain, and Pacific Northwest. ShopKo has a few unique items that are not found at the "Marts" or the "Bullseye," like Rachael Ray and Paula Deen cookware, as well as a loyalty program, called "My Extra Savings," which I am a cardholder for. ShopKo also has self-checkouts at their stores, although they no longer take cash, and only take credit/debit cards or ShopKo gift cards.