SHOPKO PLANS TO OPEN STORES IN AREA MALLS

ShopKo Stores Inc. of Green Bay, Wis., will move into stores previously occupied by Venture in Cape Girardeau's West Park Mall and Paducah's Kentucky Oaks Mall.

"We have leased a number of former Venture stores," said Jim Kratowicz, ShopKo director of Internet and marketing. "We will be coming into the Cape Girardeau and Paducah markets next spring."

The company, which has 147 stores in 16 states, will open 13 stores next year, including an 81,300-square-foot store at 5101 Hinklevelle Road in Paducah and a 92,500-square-foot store at 300 West Park Mall. Also in the plans is an 81,400-square-foot store at Joplin.

"This is new territory for ShopKo," said Kratowicz.

ShopKo is a discount retailer with sales of more than $2.3 billion a year. It features brand products at competitive prices. The company was founded in 1962 at Green Bay.

"ShopKo will be a great addition here," said Jim Govro, West Park Mall manager. "The company will add to our one-stop shopping concept at the mall."

ShopKo provides a variety of products and services. It focuses on casual apparel, household items, family basics, leisure and seasonal products and health items, including in-store pharmacies and optical centers.

The new locations, said Kratowicz, will increase ShopKo's presence in small-to-medium-sized Midwestern cities where specialty discount retailers have proven records.

Ten of the new ShopKo stores are former Venture stores being leased from Kimco Realty.

"We are confident of our ability to respond to the needs and lifestyle trends of the customers in these new markets," Dale P. Kramer, ShopKo chairman, president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement.

Kramer said: "We believe customers will be pleased with the value, quality, convenience and assortments we offer. They will also benefit from the addition of in-store pharmacies and optical centers. We're opening these stores more than 18 months ahead of schedule."

Kramer announced at ShopKo's 1997 annual meeting plans to open 30 new stores by the end of 2000.

Seventeen new ShopKo stores acquired from Penn-Daniels Inc. in December 1997 began operating as ShopKo stores in July.