Shopko, you'll be missed

The end is near.

Shopko, a shopper’s mecca in Coeur d’Alene for the past 32 years, is closing its doors for the last time Sunday after falling victim to a corporate restructuring gone sour.

“It’s really sad,” employee Lisa Ihli said between swipes of bar codes and fistfuls of blouses across her checkout stand. “I feel like I’ve made some real friendships and connections, and I won’t get to see them as much anymore. So it’s really sad to see people that’ve worked here 30 years. I can’t imagine what they’re going through.”

The retail chain, a Wisconsin icon founded in Green Bay in 1962, peaked in the early years of the 21st century, boasting a grounded optical department and contracting with Payless Shoe Source to offer a more varied inventory in most of its 363 stores nationwide. After sales plateaued, the publicly traded company went private after it was acquired by Sun Capital Partners in 2005. That deal prompted a string of rebrandings and failed market expansions. Last December, Shopko announced it was closing 39 stores. In January, the retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The store on Ironwood at U.S. 95 initially survived a round of closures announced Feb. 7 that claimed 251 locations nationwide. Sun Capital was unable to find a buyer for what remained of the company, which forced a March 18 announcement that all remaining Shopko outlets — including Coeur d’Alene’s, with its 50 employees — would shutter for good.

“I’m going to miss a lot of things about this place,” employee Natasha Selby said. “Mainly, it’s going to be the friendships I have with my co-workers. I’m going to miss them the most, them and the customers.”

“Who I feel bad for are the customers,” Ihli said. “For the people that live in this neighborhood and the people that live south of [Interstate 90], this is where everybody shops. For the people who live here and don’t get around very well, where are they going to go without crossing the freeway? It’s sad for the community. It’s sad to see this place go.”

Shopko seems unwilling to go gently into that good night. As it reduced prices on inventory and fixtures during the past week, crowds have swarmed the front half of the store, picking away at the heavily discounted merchandise.

“This sucks,” Shopko customer and Coeur d’Alene native Angie Wilhelmsen said. “This was always my favorite store. I’d always come for outdoor stuff, camping stuff, bedding, blankets, that sort of thing. And they always had great shoes. I’m going to miss it.”

Even those profiting from Shopko’s demise are saddened to see it go. J.J. Jackson, who makes a living holding signs on sidewalks urging passers-by to take advantage of store closures, marked the last days of the store as a loss for the community.

“A lot of people depended on Shopko,” Jackson said. “People who work here, people who shop here, everybody [relied on Shopko]. Now it’s gone.”

Kylah Anderson, a one-time employee and soon-to-be former Shopko customer, agreed with Wilhelmsen. “As a customer, they always had great deals,” Anderson said. “But when I worked here, everybody I worked with were really close. It sucks because you become a family with these people, and then it’s over.”

Shopko will remain open Sunday until the inventory has been depleted. Sometime around mid-afternoon, store management thinks, the doors will close for good.