84 Lumber revealed today that it closed 10 more locations as of March 15.
The latest round of consolidation includes closings in Post Falls, Idaho, and Wrightstown, Wis., Those moves mark 84's exit from both states and the closings of locations launched during the heyday of the building boom: the Idaho location was just opened in 2005, while the Wisconsin locale was opened in 2006.
The other closings were in Rocky Mount, Va.; Lancaster, Pa.; Cliffwood, N.J.; Concord, N.C.; Spartanburg, S.C.; Haines City, Fla.; Moss Point, Miss; and Minooka, Ill.
The company said that in all cases, the stores being closed will be serviced by neighboring stores in the area. For example, in Lancaster, four nearby stores will serve the market, while the Cliffwood location is surrounded by three stores. In Concord, a door shop will remain open, with four 84 Lumber locations still in operation in the Charlotte, N.C., market.
"The reality is, you hit a point that the cost and loss you are taking on just doesn't justify remaining in the market," Jeff Nobers, 84's vice president of corporate communications, told ProSales in an interview today.
"Wisconsin and Idaho were built in the boom, but the markets went downhill fast," he added.
84 Lumber now operates 289 stores in 34 states. At the end of 2007, the Eight Four, Pa.,-based company operated 394 stores. Last month, the dealer confirmed that sales shrank 36% last year to $1.35 billion.
