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                                   EXHIBIT 99

                                                          NEWS RELEASE

                                                          Investor contact:
                                                          Phyllis Proffer
                                                          (920) 429-4391
                                                          Media contact:
                                                          Sheree Olson
                                                          (920) 429-4186

                GREGORY H. WOLF JOINS SHOPKO'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Green Bay, Wisconsin (November 16, 1998) -- ShopKo Stores, Inc. (NYSE:SKO) today
announced the addition of Gregory H. Wolf to its board of directors. Wolf is
President and Chief Executive Officer of Humana, Inc., one of the nation's
largest publicly traded managed health care companies, based in Louisville,
Kentucky. The addition of Wolf, approved by ShopKo's board of directors,
increases the size of ShopKo's board from seven to eight members. Wolf's initial
term on the board will expire at ShopKo's 1999 annual meeting of shareholders,
where he will stand for reelection.

"I have known Greg Wolf for many years and am pleased he is joining ShopKo's
board of directors," said Dale P. Kramer, ShopKo Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer. "Greg is a leader in the managed care and insurance fields,
and a dynamic and well-respected chief executive officer. His expertise will
undoubtedly enhance our strategies for continued growth."

Wolf was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Humana, Inc., December
1, 1997. He joined the company in 1995 through the acquisition of
EMPHESYS/Employers Health Insurance. In 1994, he engineered the initial public
offering (IPO) for the EMPHESYS Financial Group. That IPO was the nation's most
successful large cap IPO that year, providing the greatest return to
shareholders as of year end. Wolf began his career at Employers Health, based in
Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1988 and held several executive offices before assuming
the President's post in 1994.

Wolf serves on the boards of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Green Bay, Greater
Louisville Inc., The Louisville Downtown Development Corporation, National City
Bank of Kentucky and Humana, Inc.







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Wolf is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, and is married with two children. He
earned a bachelor's degree from Penn State University, where he was recently
distinguished with the Penn State Alumni Fellows Award for exceptional
contribution to the University's academic community. Wolf received a master's
degree in Hospital and Health Services Administration from Central Michigan
University.

ShopKo Stores, Inc., headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is a leading
specialty discount retailer operating 147 stores in 16 states primarily in the
Upper Midwest, Western Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions. The Company also
serves the rapidly growing managed health care industry through its wholly-owned
subsidiary, ProVantage, Inc. Serving a client base representing more than 25
million lives worldwide, ProVantage offers information technology support
services, custom prescription benefit management (PBM) and vision benefit
management (VBM) services. For more information about ShopKo or ProVantage,
visit our web site at www.shopko.com.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of
the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such statements are subject to important factors which could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the
forward-looking statements. These factors include those referenced in the
Company's current Annual Report on Form 10-K or as may be described from time to
time in the Company's subsequent SEC filings.










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