Shopko (stylized as SHOPKO, formerly stylized as ShopKo) was a chain of department stores based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. All locations closed on June 23, 2019, with the exception of the Shopko Optical locations, which continue to operate. The company was founded in 1962 by James Ruben as ShopKo Corporation (with upper-case "K"). It opened its first store in 1962 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. From 1991 to 2005, the company was publicly held, with stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SKO. In December 2005, the company was acquired by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners and reverted to private ownership. Starting that year it opened a number of smaller stores named ShopKo Express. In June 2007, the company changed its name to Shopko Stores Inc. (with lower-case "k"). In 1999, Shopko purchased Pamida, a regional discount chain that operated mainly in smaller communities of 3,000 to 8,000 people. Shopko operated Pamida as a separate division until 2007, when Pamida was separated from Shopko and reestablished as a separate company. In 2012, Shopko and Pamida merged into one company. Shortly after, most Pamida stores were rebranded as Shopko Hometown. Shopko filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 16, 2019. On March 18, 2019, Shopko announced it would close all of its stores by summer 2019. All stores closed on June 23, 2019. History 1960s In March 1961, Chicago pharmacist James Ruben and other investors announced the formation of a corporation to open a $1 million department store in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to be called "Shopco". The store was opened in April 1962 at 216 S. Military Avenue; by that time, the spelling of the name had been changed to "ShopKo", and the company had been registered as "ShopKo Corporation" ShopKo became one of the first chains to offer such services as a pharmacy and eye care center within the store. In 1966, a second store "ShopKo East" was opened on Main Street, in Green Bay's east side, followed by several other locations in the state in the following years. In September 1969, the first ShopKo store in Michigan opened, in Marquette. 1970s In June 1970, Ruben announced plans for corporate headquarters on Ashland Avenue in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. In that same month, ShopKo Corp. was renamed "ShopKo Stores, Inc." In January 1971, the firm announced plans to merge with SuperValu of Minneapolis. Also in 1971, the new