Major changes are in store for a retail chain with over a dozen stores in Wisconsin.
On Wednesday, Shopko and Pamida announced plans to merge, creating one company with nearly 350 stores in 22 states. Shopko spokesperson Tara Powers says they will convert nearly all 193 Pamida locations around the country to “Shopko Hometown Stores” in 2012.
The changes will be phased in over the next year. What she describes as a “small handful” of Pamida locations will be phased out as part of the merger, although it’s not known which locations will be impacted. Pamida has 14 locations in Wisconsin.
While some company mergers are just done on a balance sheet, customers will see big changes at Pamida locations. The Pamida name will be gone and product lines changed. Powers says “Shopko Hometown Stores” will have a larger focus on some categories, such as apparel and home merchandise, along with carrying more national brands.
Terms of the deal announced Wednesday were not disclosed. The merger is expected to close in mid-February.
AUDIO: Paul Knoff reports (1:29)
