Rolling store closure programme across Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany
Transaction background
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Owned by Gores Group and headquartered in Amsterdam, European fashion company Mexx made the decision to close continuously unprofitable stores.
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Following a competitive tender process, GA Europe was selected to manage the store closure programme from 2012 to 2013.
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GA Europe managed the trade-out and the closure of 5 MEXX stores in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
Operational details
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The German-based GA Europe team executed its proven trade out programme, including discount/stock management, POS signs, and a guided in-store trade out process.
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GA Europe's retail operational expertise had an immediate and significant impact upon the chain's trading performance, increasing like-for-like sales by up to 350%.
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Following a full pricing review, GA Europe implemented a programme of targeted markdowns. Through article-specific and store-specific price control, GA Europe achieved an optimal margin.
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Store closures were phased over an extended trading period of 2 months in 2 waves.
Outcome
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All stores were closed with a positive result.
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Due to a sensitive and subtle approach by GA Europe, there were no negative claims from employees.
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The clearance sale had no negative effect on the results of the surrounding MEXX stores, which were not part of the store-closure sales.
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The results achieved with the store closure sales by GA Europe surpassed comparable store closures managed by MEXX in the past.