Shopko Reuse Examples

In 2019 retailer Shopko declare bankruptcy and many small towns throughout the Midwest were left without a viable option for home goods. But they are also left with an empty shell of a building that was often too large and too old to draw in other small-town retailers. It was an issue discussed in my post, Rebounding from Shopko Shock, a year later.

Since then, a few communities have found uses for the buildings. But few of them are the sales tax generators that they used to be. Unfortunately, with the “Retail Apocalypse,” the simple fact is that most of those buildings aren’t going to be reused in same retail function as their original intent.

Minnesota

Thankfully, for the residents of Perham, the use of the structure didn’t change much when the ownership changed hands. The local True Value hardware store owner purchased the former Shopko building and moved his operations in. He then expanded his offerings to include some of the home goods offerings that Shopko had once provided. In August 2020 Mark’s Home and More opened up, refilling most of the void that was left behind when Shopko left.

In Kasson, a town of 7,000 west of Rochester, the former Shopko was subdivided and now hosts a few different uses. Developers have split the building into nine separate areas to lease out. Kasson Self Storage occupies about 13,000 square feet of the building and Clem’s Cups & Cones, an ice cream shop, has moved in as well.

Iowa

Mason City, a community in north-central Iowa, found a manufacturer to move into their former Shopko site. EVCO Holdings has been working toward converting the building into a golf car and electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly facility. EVCO plans to create 115 jobs over its first five years.

In the southwestern Iowa town of Clarinda, the local school district set its sights on their vacant Shopko. In 2020 they purchased the building for $400,000 with the intent to turn it into a flexible learning space for agricultural science, construction, and other possible career-oriented offerings. It’s a great adaptive reuse idea, but it sounds like they are selling the property now though.

Another example sits less than an hour’s drive northwest of Clarinda. The owners of the Shopko in Red Oak have sold their building to the local Red Oak Greenhouse. This rapidly growing commercial greenhouse needed additional warehouse space. So when Shopko vacated the big box building next door they saw it as an opportunity. It was an ideal fit for the greenhouse to continue to grow in its current location.

Wisconsin

Tattersall Distilling purchased the former Shopko in River Falls, Wisconsin in 2021. The 75,000-square-foot facility features a ballroom space for up to 400, a private barrel room, and a tasting area. They also have retail space, a restaurant, and an outdoor amphitheater for the various events they hold throughout the year.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a good story about Tattersall Distilling that is worth the read.

Fill Me In

Do you know of a town that has seen the successful reuse of their former Shopko building? Let me know in the comments below. Occasionally I’ll be revisiting this subject as we look for other ways the communities can overcome the Shopko Shock.