Shopko Closing 39 Stores Across The Country, Including Two In Minnesota

Wisconsin-based Shopko has announced plans to close 39 of their over 300 stores to adjust to the company's long-term outlook. Among those 39 closing stores, One is located in Wisconsin, two are located in Minnesota, and four are located in North Dakota.

Stores located in the region (Duluth, Two Harbors, Moose Lake, Spooner, Aitkin, Ely, Mora, Rice Lake, and North Branch) will all remain open, while Minnesota locations in Mahnomen and Paynesville, North Dakota locations in Oakes, Stanley, Lisbon, and Mayville, and the Mauston, WI location will all close before the end of February 2019. Liquidation sales at the stores that are closing will commence December 7.

As the Star Tribune reports, the reason for the closings "were dictated by the long-term outlook on profitability, sales trends, and growth potential." A spokesperson for the company says that each of these locations employs 10-25 employees, which puts a total number of job losses caused by the closing between 400 and 1,000.

While Twin Ports area locations remain safe from this list of closings, the area has seen a fair amount of retail contraction over the past couple years, with Sears, Younkers, and K-Mart among a few recent retail names that are no longer in the market. The underlying theme in these store closings continues to be a shift in the retail environment around the country, with more consumers looking to online options and focusing their in-person spending on fewer stores.