MONROE - A new grocery department at Monroe's Shopko store has proven successful, helping serve as a model as the Green Bay-based chain opens similar departments in other stores across the state.

In the past month, 127 Shopko stores across the nation opened expanded grocery departments, offering larger selections of food and beverage items alongside their retail offerings, pharmacies and optical care centers, according to a Shopko news release.

However, the Monroe Shopko was one of a handful of stores that served as a prototype for the grocery department. It's grocery department has been up and running since November, said store manager Dan Lawrence.

"It's been a nice convenience for people here," Lawrence said.

Lawrence was unable to provide concrete sales figures for the new department but said that he had seen new customers visiting the store since the groceries were added.

The expanded grocery department offers more than 1,500 new products, including juice, cereal, baking products and canned goods.

"It's convenient for people to not have to make another stop on the way home," Lawrence said.

- Michael Brestovansky