A Wisconsin-based retail chain has spent the past year rebranding discount stores that used carry the name Pamida.
Shopko acquired the Omaha-based Pamida chain last January. Brian Meves, the regional loss prevention manager for Shopko, says they’re into the fifth phase of the change-over from “Pamida” to “Shopko Hometown” stores.
“It just so happens most of these stores are located within the Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas area,” he says.
Shopko Hometown stores are primarily located in cities of between 3,000 to 8,000 residents. Meves says Shopko carries name-brand goods that weren’t available in the Pamida chain of stores.
“For instance your Nike and Adidas — active wear shoes and apparel,” he says, “along with some name brand clothing in the women’s and juniors; also the higher-end electronics items.”
Pamida’s corporate offices in Omaha have been consolidated into the Shopko home office in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The combined chain operates 350 stores in 22 states. Events were held this week in 13 Iowa cities where Pamida stores reopened as Shopko Hometown stores.
The roots of the Pamida chain date back to 1963 when the company’s founders opened a store in Knoxville. The original store was called Gibson Products. As the company expanded in the early 1970s, the name was changed to Pamida — a combination of the names of Pat, Mike and David. Those are the names of the sons of the company’s co-founder.
The first Shopko store opened in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1962.
(Additional reporting by Joel McCall, KNOD, Harlan)