ABILENE — That storied Great Plains name – Duckwall – will soon disappear. Duckwall-Alco Stores says it will close its 44 remaining Duckwall stores including about 25 in Kansas and focus on its larger Alco stores. The Abilene-based retailer said one of the stores, which is in Hettinger, N.D., will be converted to an Alco’s store. The company also said it will drop Duckwall from its corporate name in about two years. Company president Rich Wilson said Duckwall stores made up 3.9 percent of sales and generated little profit. The Duckwall stores are small and had limited selections of merchandise and no longer meet the needs of most shoppers, he said. Duckwall’s five-and-dime stores were a regular fixture in communities throughout the Great Plains and Midwest. The company said it has been upgrading its Alco stores. There are 214 Alcos in 23 states.
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 11 a.m.
