Now open: At Home decor store takes over Shopko spot in Kennewick

Editor’s note: This story is updated to reflect that At Home has now opened.

At Home, a no-frills home furnishings store, is now open in the former Shopko store near Columbia Center in Kennewick.

The Plano, Texas-based retailer will hold its official grand opening Oct, 19, with gift cards for the first 50 shoppers who sign up for the At Home Insider Perks program.

The store is helmed by Lori DeZoeter and employs about 25 in Kennewick.

The 106,000-square-foot store carries about 50,000 products, with new merchandise arriving daily. At Home jobs are posted athome.com/careers.

Shopko closed its Kennewick and Prosser stores in early May, a month before the bankrupt Green Bay retailer closed all locations nationwide.

The building was swiftly released to At Home and underwent a $2.5 million remodel to get ready for the new tenant.

Customers can expect to spend an average of $65 at the cash register, according to a recent presentation to investors. The average item costs less than $15, it said.

Store hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. At Home stores closes for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Tri-City Herald online readers can view the investor presentation at the bottom of this column.

Columbia Center changes

At Home is one of several major additions to the Columbia Center neighborhood.

The owners of the neighboring Red Lion Columbia Center announced plans for a $20 million Residence Inn by Marriott on a site behind the hotel.

Construction on the 90-room four-or five-story hotel is expected to begin next year.

And Dick’s Sporting Goods is open after a major replacement of a former movie theater at Columbia Center mall.

At Home opened its first Washington store in January in Puyallup.

It operates 206 stores in 39 states and has an ambitious expansion plan to add at least six more stores in the coming year.

This story was originally published September 17, 2019 at 12:35 PM.