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Shopko Mt. Carmel, IL

Posted: September 4th, 2018, 7:52 pm
by storewanderer
I went to the Shopko in Mt. Carmel, IL. The sign actually says Shopko Hometown. The building looks like an old Kmart or Wal Mart to me but once I got inside I was a little surprised. The store felt like a normal standard Shopko from the late 80's in department layout and even placement of the restrooms and customer service. The lighting and ceiling tiles looked like a Shopko from that era as well. The product mix was basically like a standard Shopko, not a Shopko Hometown.

I saw some carts in the store that said Pamida, though.

They were not using all of the space in the store and had pushed shelves to block the unused spaces on both sides of the store.

There was also a window on the front side of the building which appeared to be a former pharmacy walk up window which was also now closed (this placement would also match a standard Shopko from the late 80's).

Every time I go into a Shopko, I wonder how they are able to keep going. There are so few customers, and merchandise is obviously moving so slowly. They actually have a pretty favorable mix of products and generally seem to do a good job with their stores but the lack of volume puzzles me. They must do volume somewhere.

Re: Shopko Mt. Carmel, IL

Posted: September 4th, 2018, 10:52 pm
by Super S
storewanderer wrote: September 4th, 2018, 7:52 pm I went to the Shopko in Mt. Carmel, IL. The sign actually says Shopko Hometown. The building looks like an old Kmart or Wal Mart to me but once I got inside I was a little surprised. The store felt like a normal standard Shopko from the late 80's in department layout and even placement of the restrooms and customer service. The lighting and ceiling tiles looked like a Shopko from that era as well. The product mix was basically like a standard Shopko, not a Shopko Hometown.

I saw some carts in the store that said Pamida, though.

They were not using all of the space in the store and had pushed shelves to block the unused spaces on both sides of the store.

There was also a window on the front side of the building which appeared to be a former pharmacy walk up window which was also now closed (this placement would also match a standard Shopko from the late 80's).

Every time I go into a Shopko, I wonder how they are able to keep going. There are so few customers, and merchandise is obviously moving so slowly. They actually have a pretty favorable mix of products and generally seem to do a good job with their stores but the lack of volume puzzles me. They must do volume somewhere.
I get the same feeling when I visit the Shopko in Lacey, WA. While it has updated signage on the outside, the inside looks tired, and can best be described like what would happen if Kmart took over an older Target store. I honestly do not know how that one survives when you consider the next one along I-5 is all the way down in Salem, Oregon.

But we are at the point where, soon, there will be more Shopkos than Kmarts in Washington and Oregon...

Re: Shopko Mt. Carmel, IL

Posted: September 6th, 2018, 9:48 pm
by storewanderer
I guess this store is a former Pamida... that store is about 4 times the size of any other Pamida I saw...

Interesting story regarding the pharmacy in the Mt. Carmel Shopko. Evidently the store had no pharmacy until 2014.

http://www.mtcarmelregister.com/communi ... dbbf4.html

The pharmacy closed later in 2017.

https://wsjd.fm/new-blog-1/2017/11/30/s ... cy-closing

Re: Shopko Mt. Carmel, IL

Posted: September 7th, 2018, 5:22 pm
by storewanderer
More research has led that this store is a former Target, opened by Pamida in 2000.

Was Target commonly in such small markets? This is like a low populated farm town... too small for even a Wal Mart...

Re: Shopko Mt. Carmel, IL

Posted: September 10th, 2018, 7:44 am
by wnetmacman
storewanderer wrote: September 7th, 2018, 5:22 pm More research has led that this store is a former Target, opened by Pamida in 2000.

Was Target commonly in such small markets? This is like a low populated farm town... too small for even a Wal Mart...
It may have been an Ayr-Way. It's right on the Indiana border, which makes sense. Ayr-Way tried several smaller markets like Danville, IL and Crawfordsville, IN as well. Neither store survived 2000, from what I can tell, though the Champaign store still operates, albeit in a new location. This one may have been part of that fallout.

Re: Shopko Mt. Carmel, IL

Posted: September 10th, 2018, 8:31 pm
by storewanderer
Looking at the store which definitely isn't going to win any beauty contests with its exterior (interior looks surprisingly better but I suspect the lighting, flooring, and ceiling is left over from Target), it appears there is a 3-4 bay auto repair garage in the back corner of the building. I know older Targets did offer auto repair. What about this Ayr-Way?