It is anticipated construction of Shopko's building will be completed and the new store will open for business in October of this year, according to Mr. Brandow.
It
was last October, in 2015, when the Boundary
Economic Development Council and the Bonners
Ferry Urban Renewal Agency announced that plans
were in the works for a new Shopko store to be
built in Bonners Ferry. The site for the new
store, located on the South Hill on property
between the Kootenai Valley Motel and the Idaho
Department of Lands, had been purchased by a
Utah-based property development company. The
Bonners Ferry Urban Renewal District has been
working with the developer on the public
infrastructure required for the development.
According to Mr. Brandow, the developer will
continue to own the property and is supervising
the current construction. Shopko will be renting
the property and the building for its store.(Story continues below this photograph)
Mr. Brandow said the company is still in the process of hiring a manager and assistant manager for the Bonners Ferry Shopko store. He estimated the new store will have 25-30 employees, and some part-time employees.
Shopko currently operates about 370 stores in 25 states, according to Mr. Brandow. Although many of these are larger stores in large cities, the newer concept of the Shopko Hometown stores is aimed at placing stores in smaller communities of population 3,000 to 8,000 people. Typically a Shopko Hometown store will carry about 70% of the merchandise found at Shopko's larger stores.
The Shopko Hometown stores are built in one of three different sizes: 15,000 square feet, 25,000 square feet, or 35,000 square feet. The Bonners Ferry store will be a 25,000 square foot store.
In addition to the regular retail merchandise available in the store, the Bonners Ferry Shopko Hometown store will have a pharmacy, and will have a "limited amount" of groceries. Although Shopko stores often have an optometrist office for the provision and sale of prescription eyeglasses, Mr. Brandow replied "not yet" when asked about whether the new Bonners Ferry Shopko would have optometry.
In addition to Bonners Ferry's new Shopko Hometown store, two other Shopko stores are opening in other Idaho locations this year.
Shopko is based in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, near Green Bay. The company was founded in 1962 by James Ruben, and opened its first store in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Although Shopko had been a publicly held company for many years, it was acquired in 2005 by Sun Capital Partners, a global equity firm headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, with offices worldwide. In addition to Shopko, Sun Capital owns more than 300 other companies, and has combined worldwide sales of over $45 billion.
Some of the other companies owned and operated by Sun Capital include Johnny Rockets, The Limited, Boston Market, and Friendly's restaurants.