Content about Wisconsin

NEW YORK — Shopko and William R. Wrigley Jr. Co. have donated more than 60,000 candy-filled plastic Easter eggs to nonprofit organizations in the Green Bay, Wis., area, the companies said Monday.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Shopko has finished converting the 163 Pamida stores that it bought last year, the mass merchandise retail chain said Thursday.

Green Bay, Wis.-based Shopko announced plans to buy Omaha, Neb.-based Pamida in January 2012, with plans to convert Pamida stores to the Shopko Hometown format. The last 36 Pamida stores to be converted have marked their grand openings as Shopko Hometown stores.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Mass-merchandise chain Shopko has appointed a new president, the company said Friday.

Shopko announced the promotion of Jill Soltau to president and chief merchandising officer. Soltau began working for Shopko in 2007 as SVP and GMM apparel and accessories, before receiving a promotion in 2009 to EVP and chief merchandising officer. She previously worked for retailers such as Sears and Kohl's.

MILWAUKEE — The continued softness of the economy weighed down on sales and profits at Roundy's during third quarter 2012, the Midwestern supermarket chain said Friday.

The company reported sales of $973.6 million, a 0.3% decrease from third-quarter 2011, while profits were $8.8 million, down from $12.4 million last year. Roundy's operates 161 stores with 98 pharmacies under the Pick 'n Save, Rainbow, Copps, Metro Market and Mariano's banners in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.

MILWAUKEE — Local programs in Wisconsin that help people living with diabetes are getting a big boost in funding from a Danish drug maker.

Novo Nordisk announced Wednesday that it would start accepting applications for Novo Nordisk Community Care Madison/Milwaukee, setting aside $100,000 for local programs that educate people with Type 2 diabetes. The partnerships are part of the company's Novo Nordisk Community Care program.

Carma Labs last month celebrated its 75th year of distributing its lip balm to a rabid fan base, with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker joining in on the company’s anniversary celebrations. Carma Labs was founded by Alfred Woelbing in 1937 — who sold the lip balm from the trunk of his car in the Chicago area. Today the company is a third-generation, family-owned-and-operated business that currently is run by grandsons Paul and 
Eric Woelbing.


SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Eight pharmacy students have won scholarships worth $12,000, according to a group that calls itself the country's largest group purchasing organization for independent pharmacies.

The Independent Pharmacy Cooperative announced that the students were awarded scholarships of $1,500 each. The recipients of the scholarships, handed out at the IPC's 2012 Member Conference in Savannah, Ga., were awarded based on an essay competition. Matching funding came from McKesson.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — General merchandise retailers Shopko and Pamida have completed their merger that will create a $3 billion company that serves largely rural communities in 22 states.

The combined entity will retain the Shopko name. Shopko will be headquartered in Green Bay and Pamida’s corporate headquarters in Omaha, Neb., will be consolidated into the Green Bay office over the next several months.

WASHINGTON — Avian flu researchers have agreed to take a 60-day hiatus on testing an H5N1 influenza strain that recently had gained public attention, according to a letter published Friday in the journal Science.

HILLSBORO, Wis. — At the request of the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. marshals on Thursday seized all dietary supplements manufactured by Syntec because of false claims made about the safety and effectiveness of their supplements in treating a number of diseases.

There’s been discussion for years about the “moment of truth” and whether the ultimate — and final — purchase decision is made at the shelf. Shopper behavior in a store has been studied, analyzed, hypothesized and debated. Some would argue there is too much stimuli at the shelf, others not enough. Some may suggest that retail pricing is the key deciding factor. Perhaps it’s category assortment, in-stock condition or shelf-edge signage. Still others suggest competitive positioning is the key determinant.