Prange Way
Encyclopedia
Prange Way was an American chain of discount department stores. It was owned by the H. C. Prange Co.
of Sheboygan, Wisconsin
, and at its peak, it operated stores in Wisconsin
, Illinois
, and Minnesota
. The chain closed its stores by the mid-1990s, shortly after H. C. Prange itself was assumed into the Younkers
chain.
building in 1911. The Prange Way chain later evolved into a discount department store, with several locations throughout Wisconsin
, Illinois
, and Minnesota
.
Two of their first major discount stores called Prange Way Discount Stores opened between 1965-1966 in the cities of Appleton and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, both anchoring new shopping center developments, the Marketplace Shopping Center, and Forest Shopping Center respectively. The latter would eventually be incorporated as a major anchor to Forest Mall upon that mall's opening in 1973.
Throughout the 1970s, the chain would expand slowly, eventually getting up to 20 locations. By the late 1970s, they attempted taking on a more 'upscale/discount' approach similar to Target Stores
of today. However, in the faltering economy of that period into the early 1980s, this would backfire, and the chain's image with consumers soured.
Prange Way in 1979 would switch corporate identity, shortening the store name to just "PRANGE WAY" in large bold dark red stenciled letters. This would be used up to the chain's demise.
In 1985, and with 20 locations, Prange Way and rival Wisconsin-based ShopKo Stores Inc. were in a discounter tug-of-war, each chain always one-upping the other with lower prices and price-matching. Many advertising circulars and TV spots claimed 'We Won't Be Undersold!" and "You'll Never Overpay."
By the late 1980s, Prange Way exited Illinois and had long since left Michigan's Upper Peninsula to refocus efforts solely on its home state of Wisconsin. In 1989, they grew by 7 more units with the buyout of the Schultz's discount store chain, and entered Minnesota for the first time.
Upon the new decade, in 1990, parent company H.C.Prange filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In reorganization, the Prange Way chain was spun off to a new management team, and its headquarters relocated to De Pere, Wisconsin
.
By the middle of the decade, the chain was seeing its fortunes brighten after a rocky start apart from its former parent company. Plans were slated to open smaller-sized stores in small towns, and large hypermarkets containing full discount and grocery areas, much similar to Wal-Mart
's Supercenters of today. Also a chain-wide renovation plan was readied.
The chain was reported to have gone bankrupt in the autumn of 1995. Competition from other discounters was the reasoning given.
H. C. Prange Co.
H.C. Prange Co. was a regional department store chain begun by Henry Carl Prange in 1881 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.Prange was the son of farmers who had immigrated to Wisconsin from Germany following the Revolutions of 1848. Advised by doctors that his health precluded him from farming, in 1871 he...
of Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
, and at its peak, it operated stores in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The chain closed its stores by the mid-1990s, shortly after H. C. Prange itself was assumed into the Younkers
Younkers
Younkers is an American department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer has since evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout Iowa and surrounding states in the Midwest region of the United States...
chain.
History
Prange Way began as a discount shop in the basement of the flagship H. C. Prange Co.H. C. Prange Co.
H.C. Prange Co. was a regional department store chain begun by Henry Carl Prange in 1881 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.Prange was the son of farmers who had immigrated to Wisconsin from Germany following the Revolutions of 1848. Advised by doctors that his health precluded him from farming, in 1871 he...
building in 1911. The Prange Way chain later evolved into a discount department store, with several locations throughout Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Two of their first major discount stores called Prange Way Discount Stores opened between 1965-1966 in the cities of Appleton and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, both anchoring new shopping center developments, the Marketplace Shopping Center, and Forest Shopping Center respectively. The latter would eventually be incorporated as a major anchor to Forest Mall upon that mall's opening in 1973.
Throughout the 1970s, the chain would expand slowly, eventually getting up to 20 locations. By the late 1970s, they attempted taking on a more 'upscale/discount' approach similar to Target Stores
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
of today. However, in the faltering economy of that period into the early 1980s, this would backfire, and the chain's image with consumers soured.
Prange Way in 1979 would switch corporate identity, shortening the store name to just "PRANGE WAY" in large bold dark red stenciled letters. This would be used up to the chain's demise.
In 1985, and with 20 locations, Prange Way and rival Wisconsin-based ShopKo Stores Inc. were in a discounter tug-of-war, each chain always one-upping the other with lower prices and price-matching. Many advertising circulars and TV spots claimed 'We Won't Be Undersold!" and "You'll Never Overpay."
By the late 1980s, Prange Way exited Illinois and had long since left Michigan's Upper Peninsula to refocus efforts solely on its home state of Wisconsin. In 1989, they grew by 7 more units with the buyout of the Schultz's discount store chain, and entered Minnesota for the first time.
Upon the new decade, in 1990, parent company H.C.Prange filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In reorganization, the Prange Way chain was spun off to a new management team, and its headquarters relocated to De Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere is a city located in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 20,559 at the 2000 census. De Pere is a suburb of Green Bay and is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Registered historic places:...
.
By the middle of the decade, the chain was seeing its fortunes brighten after a rocky start apart from its former parent company. Plans were slated to open smaller-sized stores in small towns, and large hypermarkets containing full discount and grocery areas, much similar to Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
's Supercenters of today. Also a chain-wide renovation plan was readied.
The chain was reported to have gone bankrupt in the autumn of 1995. Competition from other discounters was the reasoning given.