Shopko

[store215]

DISCUSS!

[Caldor99]

bouth names r kida funny to me they just don't seem as creative as Caldor Or Ames

[Caldor99]

and hears Shop Ko

[tokensafari]

that's a nice store... I like it! It's different

[Brenton81]

ShopKo is a regional discount store chain that's based out of Green Bay, Wisconsin.  It was founded in 1962 by a guy named Jim Reuben.  I have no idea where he got the name "ShopKo" from, and he's dead now so I can't ask him.  There are about 140 stores in 15 states.   ShopKo tends to keep away from the big cities.  Around here there aren't any stores in the city of Milwaukee, but there are in the smaller to mid-sized communities surrounding the area.  They're a little bit more upscale, comparable to Target.  
  Each store has the basic Hardware/Automotive departments and some Sporting Goods,  but more emphasis is placed on Housewares/Domestics and Apparel.  There's also a Toy department,  Electronics department,  School and Office supplies,  Seasonal items, Health and Beauty Aids and some Grocery items.  (Nothing like Wal-Mart though.)  Also a Jewelry Counter.  ShopKo has a pretty big RTA furniture department too, with the items all assembled and placed on the salesfloor so you can lay on the futons or sit at the desks, etc.  Kind of like a mini-showroom.   Up until the mid 90' s they carried fabrics and crafts, mixed gallons of paint and cut keys.  But that's all been done away with.  Payless Shoes also leases space inside each ShopKo store and sells their shoes.  They have their own staff, shipping and receiving, inventory, etc.  They just pay ShopKo to use their space.  
   Just about every store has a Pharmacy (some have drive-thrus) and an Optical Center.  The pharmacies do really well and because of that, three of them opened in their own stand alone buildings last year.  They're called ShopKo Express.  Kind of like a Walgreen's without the appliances or seasonal stuff.  (Tons of alcoholic beverages though!):tumble:  During the summer months, each ShopKo has an Outside Lawn & Garden Center set up in the parking lot.  There's a greenhouse and everything.  Even with places like Menards and Home Depot around, Lawn & Garden still does pretty good business.  
  ShopKo bought the Pamida chain a few years ago.  A typical Pamida is just a miniature version of ShopKo.  They're confined to the very small communities where there really aren't any other places to shop except for maybe the local supermarket or gas station.  There's about 220 Pamida stores.  The one pictured above isn't like any of the ones I've ever been in.  (The ShopKo pictured looks like one of their mid 1990's designs.) ShopKo has been aggressively remodeling Pamidas since they took over.  I know some got closed down too.  
  ShopKo, I believe, bought out the "Jack's" chain of discount stores around 1999.  (I don't know anything about Jack's and never heard of them until ShopKo bought them.)   Those stores were remodeled and opened as ShopKo.  (Most of them anyways.)  But business never really took off at any of the old Jack's locations and they closed in 2001.  About that time ShopKo bought a bunch of old Venture Outlet stores and opened in those with the same results.  People in those areas had never heard of ShopKo and didn't really take much interest when they moved in.
  Right now ShopKo has begun rounds of store remodelings.  Up until the mid 90's the older stores were all Orange and Tan with fake wood paneling.:barf: About as 1970's as you could get.  The store I'm at was redone in 1994 from those colors to the typical 90's sterile grey and white scheme.  They still had the original orange carts with the old logo from 1979 up until just a few years ago.  We're supposed to get revamped this summer.   The remodeled stores use "earth tones" :rolleyes:like beige and hunter green and have laminate wood flooring put in instead of regular tile.  I'll try to take some before and after pictures this summer.

[store215]

I guess this is the 70's logo?

[Brenton81]

That would be it!  There's another one from the 60's that has some wierd guys head with a plaid hat.  I've only seen it once or twice before.

[HoJofan206]

We had two Shopko's here in Evansville.  As someone noted above, the moved into former Venture stores and re-painted the stores white and gray with red trim.  The did have a RTO kinda furniture store as well as a shoe store and pharmacy (also as allready mentioned).  The stores were pretty clean and neat but really didnt take off in our area.  Evansville is appx 120,000 people.  Both opened in or around 1999 and closed in 2001 or 2002.

[HoJofan206]

I had family that lived in Jacksonville Illinois.  In the early 1990's when I visited we would often ride our bikes down to the Jack's store.  it was your typical K-Mart type format.  Everything was bright orange and khaki colored and if I remember correctly had a Jack toy as the logo on the sign.  (Jacks like you played with with a ball.  Last time I was in Jacksonville the Shopko was still open in the Jack's building.

[HoJofan206]

We have a Pamida that opened in Mt Vernon Indiana in 2004.  Mt Vernon is a small "feeder" town to Evansville.  I have been in there once.  It reminded me a lot like a Family Dollar or Dollar General Store.  A little bit of everything but not a lot of choices.  They seem to be the kind of store that you visit if you forgot something when you went to the "big city".  They have decent prices as well.

[Zayre88]

Shopko has been sold !

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/local_20546365.shtml

[HoJofan206]

Who bought ShopKo?  Did they buy the Pamida stores too?

[Zayre88]

Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison, it's a Minneapolis-based private equity investment firm.

Maybe that firm is acquiring Shopko to close the stores and sell the real estate...

[Brenton81]

As far as any of us know, they aren't planning to immediately close any stores.  Something like 16 ShopKo stores and a bunch of Pamidas are still going ahead with total remodels this year, including the one I'm at.  Three ShopKo Express stores are still on for being built as well.  This company has apparently owned other stores before for as little as two years and as long as ten.  None of the employees were told about the buyout until the day it happened.

[Anonymous]

76fanAmesmanBBTB


I want a Shopko in my town the storefront looks interesting so does the logo!

in this pic at least

THEY CAN TAKE THE FORMER AMES IN TORRINGTON PARKADE!

JUST AS LONG THEY DON'T TEAR THE ENTIRE BUILDING DOWN

SHOPKO's NOT TO BIG IS IT?

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by Anonymous
76fanAmesmanBBTB


I want a Shopko in my town the storefront looks interesting so does the logo!

in this pic at least

THEY CAN TAKE THE FORMER AMES IN TORRINGTON PARKADE!

JUST AS LONG THEY DON'T TEAR THE ENTIRE BUILDING DOWN

SHOPKO's NOT TO BIG IS IT?

[Anonymous]

76fanAmesmanBBTB


I like their guiding priciples

[Anonymous]

76fanAmesmanBBTB

BTW I think think the name ShopKo came from the fact that the founder wanted a Shopping Company and the cleverly shortened it to ShopKo instead of ShopCo

like night is spelled nite

and doughnut spelled donut
etc. and so on.


interesting that they say they're "trend correct"

possible effort to not look "outdated" perhaps?

maybe to avoid WalMart's (AKA Wal-Fart aka Mal-Wart aka my favorite Sprawl Mart and AKA Wally Fart lol:insane: ) so called "clean up".


Which by keeping up to date IS a good thing.

:yup:

[Caldor1999]

they dont look like such a great store they seem :boring: to me

[ameskmart1]

ShopKo

[ameskmart1]

Memphis, MO

[ameskmart1]

Savanna, IL

[ameskmart1]

ShopKo welcome area

[ameskmart1]

Dubuque, Iowa (Former Zayre/Venture)

[ameskmart1]

Lincoln, Nebraska

[ameskmart1]

Rochester, MN

[ameskmart1]

Shopko Corporate Offices: Green Bay, WI

[ameskmart1]

East Peoria, IL

[ameskmart1]

La Crosse, WI

[ameskmart1]

Monmouth, IL (Former Ames)