The North Store has consistently shown losses over the past two years. For this reason, management is giving consideration to closing the store. The company has asked you to make a recommendation as to whether the store should be closed or kept open. The following additional information is available for your use: a. The breakdown of the selling and administrative expenses is as follows: | Total | North Store | South Store | East Store | Selling expenses: | | | | | | | | | Sales salaries | $ | 243,600 | $ | 65,400 | $ | 73,400 | $ | 104,800 | Direct advertising | | 179,000 | | 65,000 | | 86,000 | | 28,000 | General advertising* | | 66,000 | | 13,200 | | 26,400 | | 26,400 | Store rent | | 295,000 | | 83,000 | | 116,000 | | 96,000 | Depreciation of store fixtures | | 23,000 | | 6,000 | | 7,400 | | 9,600 | Delivery salaries | | 25,200 | | 8,400 | | 8,400 | | 8,400 | Depreciation of delivery equipment | | 13,200 | | 4,400 | | 4,400 | | 4,400 | Total selling expenses | $ | 845,000 | $ | 245,400 | $ | 322,000 | $ | 277,600 | *Allocated on the basis of sales dollars. | Total | North Store | South Store | East Store | Administrative expenses: | | | | | | | | | Store management salaries | $ | 91,000 | $ | 28,000 | $ | 37,000 | $ | 26,000 | General office salaries* | | 66,000 | | 13,200 | | 26,400 | | 26,400 | Insurance on fixtures and inventory | | 39,000 | | 11,700 | | 16,000 | | 11,300 | Utilities | | 83,130 | | 27,850 | | 26,720 | | 28,560 | Employment taxes | | 63,870 | | 17,250 | | 21,780 | | 24,840 | General office other* | | 110,000 | | 22,000 | | 44,000 | | 44,000 | Total administrative expenses | $ | 453,000 | $ | 120,000 | $ | 171,900 | $ | 161,100 | *Allocated on the basis of sales dollars. b. The lease on the building housing the North Store can be broken with no penalty. c. The fixtures being used in the North Store would be transferred to the other two stores if the North Store were closed. d. The general manager of the North Store would be retained and transferred to another position in the company if the North Store were closed. She would be filling a position that would otherwise be filled by hiring a new employee at a salary of $12,200 per quarter. The general manager of the North Store would be retained at her normal salary of $13,200 per quarter. All other employees in the store would be discharged. e. The company has one delivery crew that serves all three stores. One delivery person could be discharged if the North Store were closed. This persons salary is $5,400 per quarter. The delivery equipment would be distributed to the other stores. The equipment does not wear out through use, but does eventually become obsolete. f. The companys employment taxes are 15% of salaries. g. One-third of the insurance in the North Store is on the stores fixtures. h. The General office salaries and General officeother relate to the overall management of Superior Markets, Inc. If the North Store were closed, one person in the general office could be discharged because of the decrease in overall workload. This persons compensation is $6,600 per quarter. Required: 1. Prepare a schedule showing the change in revenues and expenses and the impact on the companys overall net operating income that would result if the North Store were closed. (Any losses/ reductions should be indicated by a minus sign.) 3. Assume that if the North Store were closed, at least one-fourth of its sales would transfer to the East Store, due to strong customer loyalty to Superior Markets. The East Store has enough capacity to handle the increased sales. You may assume that the increased sales in the East Store would yield the same gross margin as a percentage of sales as present sales in that store. a. Calculate the net advantage of closing the North Store. (Any losses should be indicated by a minus sign.) | | |