Downtown GB Shopko Express to close

GREEN BAY - Shopko announced it will close its downtown Green Bay Shopko Express store on Dousman and Broadway streets effective November 1.

In November 2008, Shopko Express celebrated its grand opening in Downtown Green Bay. This November, it’s saying goodbye to the Broadway neighborhood.

“Basically we just have not had great financial success here in the one year we've been opened up,” said Shopko Chief Operating Officer Mike Bettiga.

Bettiga said opening in an urban location was a risk since it wasn't a typical location for the business. But he said he was optimistic.

“We felt there was a void in this area from a retail standpoint and that's why we were excited about opening up down here,” said Bettiga. “After about the first six months of opening we saw that we weren't getting the traffic we had expected.”

The economy as well as difficult accessibility and poor visibility are things Bettiga said contributed to the lack of customers. But some people in the area didn't even know the store existed.

“I didn't really realize there was one downtown here,” said Carrie Ostroski who works in downtown.

“I never knew there was a Shopko downtown. But had I known there was a Shopko downtown I would've been shopping at the Shopko downtown,” said Andre Edwards.

Mayor Jim Schmitt said he is sad to see the store go, but would like to see a similar store take its place.

“That type of business can be successful in that district. It's just that this particular model didn't work out,” said Schmitt.

On Broadway Inc. helped recruit Shopko to the area. Its president says the store will be sorely missed, and the company is working to fill the vacancy in the building. The Chamber of Commerce, which owns the building, would not comment on the closing.

Bettiga said employees at the downtown Green Bay location will be relocated to other Shopko’s and will not lose their jobs.

All prescription records from the downtown Shopko Express will be transferred to the Shopko West Pharmacy, located at 216 S. Military Avenue. Customers are able to refill prescriptions at any Shopko Pharmacy location.