NEWTON FALLS - Liquidation of merchandise inside the Pamida store on state Route 534 here is set to begin Sept. 9, as the store prepares to change over to Shopko Hometown, Shopko officials announced Wednesday.
Merchandise will be marked down in all departments.
The Newton Falls Pamida is one of about 170 stores that will become a Shopko Hometown store after the two chains merged in March.
Jobs are secure for all store employees, according to Shopko spokeswoman Tara Powers.
''We are eager to be one step closer to bringing the Shopko Hometown experience to Newton Falls. The Shopko Hometown format has already been overwhelmingly embraced by customers in the markets where we have already converted stores," said Paul Jones, Shopko president, chairman and CEO.
Shopko Hometown carries national brands and high-value private label brands of apparel, home furnishings, toys, consumer electronics, seasonal items and lawn and garden products.
The liquidation sale is expected to last up to 12 weeks. Following that, the store will close for about a week to complete the conversion before reopening under the Shopko name. The pharmacy will remain open during the conversion, Powers said.
Shopko will invest approximately $80 million into Pamida store conversions nationwide through the end of the year. Shopko is owned by affiliates of Sun Capital Partners Inc., and is headquartered in Green Bay, Wis. It operates almost 350 stores in 22 states.