ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – Following an announcement on Monday that Ashwaubenon-based retailer Shopko is closing all their remaining department stores, including the last four in Northeast Wisconsin, loyal costumers are reacting in different ways.
Ed from Green Bay was passing through the store in Bay Park Square on Tuesday to take a look around and get his steps in.
He was less than surprised about the news.
“Because they didn’t have any costumes for the last year or two,” he explains. “You could tell, you go to Kohl’s [and] then you come here and no one’s in the store.”
While he wasn’t shocked by the news, it still comes as a big blow to the regional workforce in his opinion.
“Oh, it’s terrible,” he says. “All these people out of work [and] you have the main office here.”
Many shopping on Tuesday said they will be sad to see the retailer close down.
“I don’t want them to,” explains Suzanne Jonas from Green Bay.
She’ll miss Shopko’s convenience.
“They have everything,” she says. “Everything I need, you know I don’t need that much anymore.”
Others upset at the thought of having to go elsewhere to shop for clothes.
“Where are you going to go now for shopping?” asks Elaine from Shawano. “There’s no place really to go to buy clothes.”
Jodie from Kaukauna was milling around the store while passing time as her car had some repair work done.
For her, the retailer closing means that she’ll have to go elsewhere for a number of things.
“Loved getting my glasses there, our prescriptions are all there,” she explains.
On a larger scale, she thinks the fall of Shopko is a sign of bad things to come for smaller shops and stores across the state.
“I work at a smaller bakery type place,” she explains. “I know that they’re going to be far and few between here in the future.”
The shutdown will be complete in June and closing the remaining 120 Shopko department stores will affect around 5,000 employees.
