Pamida is a chain of department stores with more than 175 locations in 16 Midwestern and West Central U.S. states. Pamida stores are generally located in smaller communities that range from 3,000 to 8,000 in population. The Pamida name represents the first two letters of the first names of co-founder Jim Witherspoon's three sons, Pat, Mike, and David.
Pamida had its beginnings in a service merchandise business begun in 1948 by Jim Witherspoon and Lee Wegener.