Help! Is my store closing?

[bars.of.a.rhyme]

So a few weeks ago a woman came up to me and asked why we were closing. I assured her that we weren't and shrugged it off. Then a second woman came in and asked the same thing, then a third, and a fourth. I've had at least 10-15 people ask me this in the last month, and my coworkers have fielded similar questions.

I wasn't too worried about it - a Blockbuster just closed in my area after their new landlord hiked up their rent, so maybe people thought that we were all being shut out by Netflix or something. Whatever.

A few days ago, however, I was picking up my lunch at the local hamburger joint, and one of the women there said that our landlord had said that my store was probably closing.

I've asked my manager about it, and he doesn't know anything. He has my implicit trust (he's my first manager that hasn't taken his pants off in front of female coworkers or stolen money from naive and overly-nice girls, I'm ecstatic to have a sane person in charge for once); I know he's not lying to me.

This brings me to my question...I'm really getting concerned, and I'd like to know if anyone has any suggestions on how I can find out what's really going on. Who do I talk to? I'm starting to get a little worried here.

[Rapscallion]

Do you have a local planning office or similar? Over here, the planning permission people have to approve all major alterations to buildings, so if it's down for bulldozing there may be something there. Is it known as 'zoning' in the US?

Just one option, I guess.

The other one is to ask the people who say this if they've heard of 'why' - if they have and it makes sense, get worried.

Rapscallion

[digilight]

Well the fact that the landlord said that your store was probably closing was not a definant. Unless he knows something that the rest of you don't. Are you guys a corporate store, a franchise store, or a mom and pop store.

Typically a few things can make a store close down.

1. Lack of business, no $$$ coming in. Otherwise known as bankruptcy.
2. Consolidating locations.
3. They lost their lease. The landlord could be trying to raise the rent a huge amount and the business owner told them to screw off. The landlord refused to renew the lease (putting them at a month to month and sometimes at a higher rate depending on the original lease). If they lost their lease this way it could be a sign of renovation in site for the plaza.

[JuniorMintz]

I've found out *twice* that my store was closing from the customers, so be concerned, be on the lookout for other employment, and other than that relax because it's out of your hands.

[LostMyMind]

Management like to not tell folks that shop is closing up so they don't lose their workers before shop gets closed up.

Who knows, it could be that they read/heard about it and it's another store and not yours. There really isn't any way to know for sure. Right now it's rumors, I would bring up the issue that there is a rumor spreading around your customers that the store is closing.

[MadMike]

Who knows, it could be that they read/heard about it and it's another store and not yours. There really isn't any way to know for sure. Right now it's rumors, I would bring up the issue that there is a rumor spreading around your customers that the store is closing.

Exactly. I lost count of how many customers who heard that we were closing, and wanted to know if it was true, and when it was supposed to happen. Not having heard anything myself, I had no info to give them.

Our store did close eventually, but not until about a year and a half after I had quit.

[K245five]

I went through something similar earlier this year. The store that I'd worked at for 7 years was closed down.

About five months prior, our parent company announced that they were selling off all of the Corporate stores. We were one of 20 stores in the division. Corporate was peddling the stores to potential buyers. Our store was in trouble because we were unionized, and no owner wanted to pick up a union store. Plus, we had a staff that wasn't really a crack crew. Plenty of them had been around forever and age and injuries had taken their toll. Our store had been around since the late '70's, and a good many employees had been there since then or the early '80's. Plus, we had plenty of misfit employees who were only still there due to the union protecting them. Thus, although a couple of owners had shown serious interest, we didn't exactly show a potential owner a good picture.

Anyhoo, the signs were coming out. The store was shipping out freight to other stores, AROUND THE HOLIDAY SEASON! Certain vendors were told to cut back their deliveries or not deliver anymore items at all. HR was imploring people to take vacation time ASAP, among other things.

Finally, a week into the new year, HR and other top division officials called everybody into the conference room and broke the news that we were closing in one month. A store that had been in the community for almost 30 years was shut down. The place was independently owned until 2000, when the owner sold out to a Corporate entity.

Everybody thought that the store would NEVER close. Not only the employees, but the community as well. However, the store was way past it's prime, and when you combine that with a Corporate entity that was only concerned with the bottom line as opposed to customer service, and an inept union that was only concerned with money as opposed to protecting its workers, well, the result was inevitable.

[SwanJun]

When in doubt, ask your district/area manager, they should know.

If not just give your operations guy at corp office a call.

I know, at this office, we're more than happy to share that information with store employees. Store closings are never kept secret - that's kind of cruel.

With exception to one store that was closed within three days of making the decision (That's a freaking story in itself - the fallout was hell), the store employees were given a minumum of a month's notice. The Real Estate team plan closings well in advance.

I would try not to panic, though. Unless you hear it from the powers that be, you should be okay ... unless the company are ... um ... a$$holes...and then you might not....

I hope this helps...

SJ

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

With exception to one store that was closed within three days of making the decision (That's a freaking story in itself - the fallout was hell), the store employees were given a minumum of a month's notice. The Real Estate team plan closings well in advance.

I bet it's a good story. I wanna hear it.

[HYHYBT]

If that's a story that can be told, please, please do!

[Becks]

With exception to one store that was closed within three days of making the decision (That's a freaking story in itself - the fallout was hell), the store employees were given a minumum of a month's notice.

Oh, oh, oh, I want to hear this one!!!!!!!