GNC plans to close about 900 stores

PERKINS TWP. — A national health supplement store with locations in Sandusky and Norwalk announced it plans to close up to 900 stores.GNC (Good Nutrition Centers), headquartered in Pittsburgh, first said the closings were possible in 2018 and then reaffirmed it Monday during the second-quarter earnings call."GNC is continuing to look for ways to optimize our store portfolio which involves decreasing our overall physical footprint over a three year period, which is closer to the high end of our original optimization estimate of 700 to 900 store closures," company spokeswoman Hanna Beckman said.The company, which has a location in the Sandusky Mall and one in the Norwalk Korners Plaza behind McDonald's, sells health-related items including vitamins and supplements.The decision to close locations was based on changing consumer trends, which gravitate toward convenience. Beckman said the company is assessing its short-term and long-term goals and hasn't made any specific decision on which stores to close.But Chain Store Age, a website that reports on retail trends, said the company indicated during the earnings call that it planned to cut its mall locations by nearly half.Joe Bell, a spokesman for Sandusky Mall owner Cafaro Co., said they hadn't heard anything on which stores the company would choose to close.The Sandusky Mall is planning a great deal of renovation and redevelopment following years of past tenants closing because of the struggles in the retail market.The mall recently announced Hobby Lobby would be filling a portion of the old Sears location, near where GNC is located in the mall, and the rest of the area would be redeveloped for other uses.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterThe Sandusky Mall on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018.