Closing sale begins at Shopko near Wal-Mart in Whitehall Township

WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, MI - Shopko Hometown in Whitehall Township has put up closing signs less than a year after a Walmart opened nearby.

The store sells a variety of items in categories ranging from home decor to home improvement to kitchen and dining to clothing and accessories to toys.

A 126,000-square foot, locally-tailored Wal-Mart, 2755 W. Holton-Whitehall Road, opened about half a mile from Shopko during May. Next door to Shopko, a former Plumbs store turned Great Lakes Fresh Market, 3271 E Colby St., closed in October, less than a year after the new company took over.

Liquidation at Shopko, 3165 Holton-Whitehall Road, began with 10-30 percent discounts throughout the store, according to signs.

"Based on the store's current profitability, sales trend and potentially future financial results, we made the difficult decision to close the location," said Michelle Hansen, Shopko spokesperson.

Hansen had no comment on whether or not the closure was related to Wal-Mart opening nearby.

The company expects to operate the store through mid-January, she said. It first opened during September 2012, prior to that it was a Pamida store.

Shopko Hometown stores typically have 25-30 full- and part-time employees, Hansen said. Those employed at the Whitehall Township store will have the opportunity to transfer to other locations.

Nearby Shopkos are located in Newaygo and Hart, according to the company website. There are 22 stores in Michigan.

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Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., the company was found in 1962. In all, Shopko Stores Operating Co. has 363 stores in 24 states. Retail formats include Shopko, Shopko Express Rx, Shopko Pharmacy and Shopko Hometown.

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