Editing Shopko (section)

{{Short description|Defunct chain of retail stores}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Shopko Stores, Inc.
| logo = [[File:ShopkoNEWLogo2008.png|220px]]
| image = [[File:Shopko Store 2.jpg|260px]]
| image_caption = Former Shopko Store
| image_size = 260px
| type = [[Private company|Private]]
| founder = James Ruben
| area_served = United States
| key_people = 
| industry = [[Retail]]
| products = Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, market, housewares, contact lenses.
| revenue = {{increase}}[[US$]] 3.3 billion ([[Fiscal Year|FY]] 2018)<ref name="S">{{cite news| title=America's Largest Private Companies| url=https://www.forbes.com/largest-private-companies/list/#tab:rank_header:position_search:shopko| first=Andrea| last=Murphy| date=November 14, 2023| magazine=[[Forbes]]| language=en| access-date=November 24, 2024}}</ref>
| num_employees = 18,000 (2018)<ref name="S"/>
| owner = 
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1962|4|5}} (as ShopKo)
| defunct = {{End date and age|2019|06|23}}<ref>{{cite news| title=Shopko's last day: Shoppers scour stores for final deals as bankrupt company shuts down| url=https://www.postcrescent.com/story/money/2019/06/23/shopko-bankruptcy-shopper-search-deals-companys-last-day/1352370001/| access-date=November 24, 2024| newspaper=[[Green Bay Press-Gazette]]| first1=Jeff| last1=Bollier| author2=Caitlin Shuda| author3=Sarah Razner| author4=Megan Stringer| author5=Lydia Slattery| date=June 23, 2019| language=en}}</ref>
| fate = [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Bankruptcy]]
| successor = [[Shopko Optical]]
| location = [[Green Bay, Wisconsin|Green Bay]], [[Wisconsin]], U.S.
| homepage = {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105195009/http://www.shopko.com |date=January 5, 2019 |title=Shopko.com}}
}}
'''Shopko Stores, Inc.''' (stylized as SHOPKO, formerly stylized as ShopKo) was a chain of department stores based in [[Green Bay, Wisconsin]]. All locations closed on June 23, 2019, with the exception of the Shopko Optical locations,<ref>{{cite web| title=Find a Shopko Optical Eye Care Center & Schedule an Exam|url=https://www.shopko.com/eye-care/| access-date=2021-01-14| website=Shopko| df=mdy-all}}</ref> which continue to operate.

The company was founded in 1962 by [[James Ruben]] as '''ShopKo Corporation''' (with upper-case "K").  It opened its first store in 1962 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

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.  Starting that year it opened a number of smaller stores named '''ShopKo Express'''.  In June 2007, the company changed its  name to '''Shopko Stores Inc.''' (with lower-case "k").

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'''.

Shopko filed for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11]] bankruptcy on January 16, 2019.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2019/02/07/shopko-bankruptcy-filing-chain-close-more-than-250-stores/2799504002/| title=Shopko to close more than 250 stores amid bankruptcy filing: See the full list| newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette| first=Jeff| last=Bollier| date=February 7, 2019| access-date=2024-11-24| df=mdy-all}}</ref> On March 18, 2019, Shopko announced it would close all of its stores by summer 2019. All stores ceased operations on June 23, 2019.