by Brianna Crandall — October 5, 2016 — The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM), the authority on retail, multi-site facilities management, has released its latest Benchmarking Snapshot, Dark Stores: Prevalence and Management. This snapshot highlights retailers with non-operating, also known as “dark,” stores, including information about the number of these closed retail stores, region of highest concentration, and whether the properties are owned versus leased.
The accompanying infographic features information about the management of dark stores, such as what challenges retailers encounter in managing them, including environmental and regulatory compliance as well as adhering to local laws regarding vacant stores.
“Retail brands are facing closed retail sites, or dark stores, for a number of reasons — mergers and acquisitions, right-sizing, and competition with e-commerce,” says Bill Yanek, chief executive officer, PRSM Association. “This infographic shares what services retail brands contract to provide for the stores, top challenges and their supplier preferences.”
In addition, the snapshot includes information about the services and suppliers needed to maintain closed retail stores. Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC); fire protection; and general maintenance are three of the highest contracted services. One-half of retailers surveyed indicate they prefer one supplier for each service, whereas 30 percent of the retailers use one supplier for all services.
The Dark Stores: Prevalence and Management snapshot and infographic are available to view or download with log-in from the PRSM Benchmarking Reports Web page.
