MANITOWOC – OfficeMax is set to close April 23 — but the building, 4121 Calumet Ave., may not be empty for long.
According to Manitowoc Community Development Director Adam Tegen, two businesses plan to move into the site — Five Below and PetSmart.
Five Below and PetSmart bring shopping options to Manitowoc
Five Below is a Pennsylvania-based discount retail store with 1,800 locations in 46 states. There are 18 locations throughout Wisconsin, including one in Sheboygan Falls.
The store sells items including sports equipment, games, fashion accessories, bath and body products, candy, beverages, home décor, seasonal items and more.
PetSmart has more than 1,650 stores throughout the United States offering pet products, grooming and training, pet boarding and daycare services. They specialize in pet food, supplies and small pets, and often partner with PetSmart Charities to sponsor in-store pet adoptions.
There are 21 PetSmart locations in Wisconsin, including a store in Kohler.
Streetwise Manitowoc will keep you posted as we learn more.
An OfficeMax employee fought to keep store open
The OfficeMax closure is one of hundreds throughout the United States in recent years. The Sheboygan store closed in 2023 and the location is now a Michaels craft store.
Experts attribute the downsizing to competition from online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart. People also are using fewer office supplies — think ink, staples and paper — in the age of the internet.
Changes began more than a decade ago. OfficeMax was sold to Office Depot in 2013, becoming ODP Corporation. At that time, many OfficeMax stores closed or were rebranded as Office Depot.
Office Depot then closed more than 1,000 stores since the merger, reducing its store count by about 55%, Yahoo Finance reported.
An employee from the Manitowoc store launched an online petition to keep the store open at change.org.
“I’m writing this petition out of a deep sense of urgency and hope,” the unnamed employee posted on April 1. “As an employee at the OfficeMax located in Manitowoc, I am reaching out to you, our valued community and decision-makers, in an effort to keep our beloved store open. For myself, like many others, this store is more than just a workplace — it’s a vital part of our community fabric.
“Our store doesn’t just provide office supplies; it’s a key resource for many — students printing their projects, small businesses needing supplies and those last-minute binders for a presentation,” the employee wrote. “It’s an accessible, reliable spot in our city where residents know they can get the help and supplies they need. We all witness the heart-warming sight of our community members meeting and helping each other.”
OfficeMax began liquidating inventory on April 13.
Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@usatodayco.com or call 920-606-2575.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Five Below and PetSmart plan to take over former Manitowoc OfficeMax
Reporting by Patti Zarling, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
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