More big changes in Chippewa Valley Retail

Retail in the Chippewa Valley and across the state continues to shape-shift. Two announcements today of particular interest:

1. Shopko announced that since no buyer has been found for the retail chain, they will be closing all of their retail stores and completely going out of business. In our area this includes the Eau Claire and Lake Hallie stores. This will be a loss to the retail environment in the area, particularly after the closing of all of the area K-Mart stores a few years ago. 
2. As part of the continuing saga of the Gordy's grocery stores, Nash-Finch (which has purchased the remainders of the retail chain) is going to re-name the Gordy's stores as Family Fare Supermarkets. Nash-Finch has other stores in this chain in several Mid-Western states. Most of the local Gordy's stores in the are had been Mega Foods stores before Gordy's acquired them in a complex swap a few years back. The area food retail business continues to be an ever-changing competitive arena.