Smart Ways To Decommission Stores

Andrew Wren And Keith Aubele, Wren Solutions

As the economy continues to batter retailers, some who are unable to weather the storm are closing down altogether. Many survivors are moving aggressively to close stores as necessary to get expenses in line with revenues, cut payroll, and respond to a tightening market. While the closing of stores may seem like a remote concern to the loss prevention (LP) team, in both of the scenarios above, store closings present critical challenges and opportunities for this group.

Store closings due to complete discontinuation of the business versus an attempt to cut costs by closing poorly-performing stores are two different scenarios that present entirely different challenges. In both cases, there are some tricks to successfully decommissioning stores in ways that reduce loss and maximize resources.