Saks to Close Younkers Store in Appleton, Wis.

Saks Inc. (Birmingham, Ala.) has announced plans to close its 120,000-sq.-ft.Younkers store on College Avenue in Appleton, Wis. The store is scheduled to close in January 2002, upon expiration of the lease term.

However, the nearby, 113,000-sq.-ft. Fox River Mall store in Appleton will remain open. And Saks recently announced its intent to open a new Younkers store in the Bay Park Square center in nearby Ashwaubenon, Wis., (part of the Green Bay metropolitan area) in late 2002 or early 2003. The retailer currently operates 51 Younkers stores throughout the Midwest, 16 of those in Wisconsin.

“We believe our interests are best served by closing the College Avenue store and focusing our resources and efforts on our Fox River store, which is only minutes away, and on our new Green Bay location,” said Frank Kulp, president and ceo of Younkers.

Saks Inc. currently operates Saks Department Store Group with 40 Parisian specialty department stores and 204 traditional department stores under the Proffitt's, McRae's, Younkers, Herberger's, Carson Pirie Scott, Bergner's and Boston Store nameplates. The company also operates Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises, which consists of 61 Saks Fifth Avenue stores and 50 Saks Off 5th stores.