Krogen’s Do it Best Hosts 90th Anniversary Celebration Event

In honor of its 90th anniversary, Krogen’s Do it Best in Boscobel, Wis., hosted a week-long celebration featuring giveaways, product discounts and food. Krogen’s Do it Best commemorated the business’s inaugural year of 1933 and its 90th anniversary throughout the celebration with number-themed giveaways and discounts. The first 90 shoppers received a free t-shirt, door prizes were drawn every 90 minutes, and each of the 90 winners received a prize worth more than $90.

The store also paid $0.90 cash for each 1933 penny, and shoppers enjoyed a 19.33 percent discount on all furniture, wall art and bedding. On Saturday, shoppers were able to purchase a bratwurst and drink for $0.90, with all proceeds benefiting the Wisconsin River Trail.  

“It’s a joy to celebrate 90 years in Boscobel,” said President Karl Krogen. “We know we wouldn’t be who we are today without the support of this loyal community, and we’re always interested in an opportunity to invest in them as they’ve invested in us.”

Krogen’s dates back to 1933, a time considered by historians to be the depths of the Great Depression, when Jack and Blondy Curry opened a small 14×26-foot automotive supply and variety store in Boscobel. Jack’s father was the owner-operator of a pioneer Gamble-Skogmo retail outlet, a regional retail conglomerate of the era. Helping in his father’s store convinced Jack that he, too, wanted to be a hardlines retailer.

Jack and Blondy’s store became the first Gamble franchise dealership. To bring customers into the store, they offered a grand opening sales promotion starting on March 11, 1933: with the purchase of one automobile tire for as low as $2.85, customers would receive a second tire free of charge, two free inner tubes and free mounting of both tires.

Thanks to Jack’s innovative thinking, the store became a success, and the Currys used their position to advocate for a better Boscobel, playing an integral role in opening the city’s first hospital. The Curry’s son-in-law, Kempert Krogen, became a full-time employee in 1959 after finishing business college, and he eventually purchased the business in 1971, continuing the legacy of active community engagement.

In 1986, Gamble’s merged with Our Own Hardware, which eventually merged with HWI and became Do it Best. Today, the Curry’s original 364-square-foot store has been expanded to more than 13,000 square feet. They are in their third location on Wisconsin Avenue, and their total sales area now includes two adjacent storefronts, and it extends from the second floor into the basement. They offer a complete line of hardware, as well as refrigerators, washers and dryers, dishwashers, ranges, and more. Krogen’s Do it Best is located at 924 Wisconsin Avenue in Boscobel, WI and is open Monday through Friday from 8 am–6 pm and Saturday from 8 am–4 pm. For more information, visit www.krogens.doitbest.com.