MONROE — A source of affordable retail, friendly pharmacy workers and quick, accommodating basic health care within the city will officially close June 16, according to an announcement from the Shopko corporation Monday.

Frequent shoppers of the store who will be impacted include more than just Monroe residents. On Wednesday, the store bustled with customers. Many, like Myrtle Melland, came from South Wayne to shop there.

“I don’t think it’s very nice,” Melland said as she stood among the clothing items in the store she patronizes nearly every time she frequently visits the city. She was concerned over where to go once it closes, noting how she appreciated the quality of the items over the big chain retailer Walmart.

After first declaring in January that it had filed papers in a bankruptcy court to restructure the financial makeup of its corporation and was closing a number of its stores throughout the country and within the state, Shopko announced Monday that it plans to close all of its remaining physical stores by the end of June. 

Melland said after hearing of initial store closures, she remained optimistic when Monroe’s Shopko stayed open. She expressed feeling disappointed in her optimism when the recent announcement was made.

Monroe’s store had been somewhat exempt from the first round of hits taken by bigger stores in cities like Madison and the headquarters of the corporation, Green Bay. The Shopko pharmacy in Monroe shuttered as part of the first round of closures in the bankruptcy proceedings. 

But then in February, Payless ShoeSource, which has a shop within the building, announced its own restructuring plan. The company plans to close all of its physical operations by the end of May.

According to a notice filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nebraska just before noon on Monday, the remaining open stores will all be closed on June 16, which include the Monroe, Freeport and Janesville locations.

Marne Bechtolt was at the store Wednesday with her daughter, Mackenzie. Bechtolt said she was disheartened at the announcement as well.

“It’s my favorite store,” she said, noting she visits about once a week. “I like their clothing line, I like the selection of shoes they have. … They’re more reasonable here than they are anywhere else.”

She said she used to visit frequently because she used the pharmacy and enjoyed the friendliness of the less crowded, more personable interactions with workers there. Mackenzie said she wasn’t as upset nor as surprised as her mother when the news of the recent closures was announced. 

“I did (expect it), but she didn’t believe me,” Mackenzie said. Marne noted there were some signs, like “the shelves were starting to get emptier” each time she visited.

The City of Monroe is listed as one of the claims against the Shopko corporation for more than $2,200. City Attorney Dan Bartholf said the claim hasn’t yet been filed, but is pending with the bankruptcy court. It is for unpaid utilities owed to the city. However, Bartholf said because of the low priority placed on the city by the court in comparison to creditors and company employees, there is no guarantee the city will recover those funds.

Shopko management at the Monroe store referred all questions to the corporate office. Spokesperson Michelle Hansen did not return calls inquiring about the closure announcement.

Monroe Clinic spokesperson Patricia Lawson said that FastCare will continue even after the Shopko store where it is housed closes in June, but officials have little information so far. 

“We are learning about Shopko just like anybody else,” Lawson said, noting that there had been no communication from the corporation office.

The service, which allows anyone to walk in and pay a flat rate for examination of common ailments like strep throat, will continue, but may have a new location. Meetings have been held to discuss its future, but she said plans have not yet been finalized. 

 “The one thing we don’t want people to think is that it’s going away,” Lawson said. 

Lisa Adams of South Wayne, who was shopping with her two young children at Shopko on Wednesday, echoed the sentiment of Marne and Melland that Walmart clothing lacks quality. Neither Marne nor Adams said they will choose the massive chain store, likely to shift instead to Blain’s Farm & Fleet for similar purchases. 

“It’s upsetting,” Adams said. “This is where I get my kids’ shoes, where we get school supplies, where I get my son’s jeans. I just hoped that the store would stay here. … I didn’t think they would close.”