Close 11 now. Test the other 19 before deciding.
Eleven of the 30 stores lose money after allocated costs, sit in catchments where online already reaches most customers, and have leases ending within 18 months. Closing them frees capital with little sales leakage. The other 19 carry meaningful halo sales online; closing them would cost more online revenue than it saves.
Treat this as two decisions, not one. Bank the easy 11 at lease events, and run a two-quarter test on the 19 before committing the online budget.
- What the 30 stores really contribute
- Where online already does the job
- The cost of getting out
- The case against, and why it doesn't hold for the 11
| Claim | Statement | Source | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-003 | 11 stores negative at four-wall level | Store P&L, FY25 | confirmed |
| C-007 | Online reaches most of those catchments | Order postcodes | confirmed |
| C-011 | Halo sales on the 19 exceed savings | Channel study | not fully confirmed |
