Chapter 46: Get In Here!

Finished

Moreover, the brand was expensive, and its consumer base was relatively small. Thus, its declining sales have become inevitable in recent years.

Summer’s voice was even-toned as she asked, “Ms. Wilson, what do you think?”

Hannah Wilson cleared her throat. This subpar brand store had been a drag on the mall’s overall revenue. She had long been eager for headquarters to remove them.

Hannah spoke with cold decisiveness. “Their contract expires at the end of this year. Although Marc Gerbers’ Cranford distributor said they would still sign a renewal, their revenue and sales have been declining. My recommendation is to eliminate them immediately.”

Summer lifted her gaze slightly, sweeping Hannah with a meaningful look. “Ms. Wilson, you’re in charge of Stratosphere Square’s operations. Have you tried helping them reverse their downward trend? For example, have any mall promotions ever featured the Marc Gerbers store?”

Hannah hadn’t expected such a professional question from Summer. Every mall had a fixed budget to help stores expand visibility and sales, but that budget was always prioritized for high-performing stores with strong brand value. She had barely paid any attention to stores like Marc Gerbers. Investing money in them would just be a waste of funds.

“We have done that, but there are simply too many stores in the mall. Once the budget is divided up, the results may not meet expectations.”

Summer had worked her way up from an entry-level position. She understood mall operations inside and out. Just one listen, and she knew Hannah was lying.

Summer’s tone turned cold, striking straight at the heart of the matter. “Ms. Wilson, before you demand that I clear out stores, you should at least make an effort to help them recover. Instead of immediately kicking them out just to boost the mall’s efficiency, try to support them first. Marc Gerbers has been with us for 20 years. Back when we were just a small mall, they were the ones who helped establish our reputation. Now that their brand is declining, whether for business reasons or out of basic decency, I believe we should do what we can to assist them.”

The other executives were momentarily stunned by Summer’s professional and well-structured argument. It turned out Summer wasn’t just some figurehead. On the contrary, she understood mall operations even better than they did. On the other hand, Hannah had just been lectured by Summer in front of everyone, her face turning an ugly shade of red.

She was a senior figure, one of the founding members of Stewart Group.

Chapter 46: Get In Here!

Finished

Hannah frowned, her voice carrying a trace of anger. “Ms. Stewart, how do you know we haven’t made an effort? If every underperforming store received constant financial support, do you think the mall could survive? You’re an office worker; you should just stick to handling paperwork. Leave on-site management to us seasoned employees.”

Her words were a clear jab at Summer, implying that someone with only office experience shouldn’t be meddling here.

Summer let out a cold laugh, her eyes sweeping over Hannah with an icy indifference. “Alright, Ms. Wilson, then please compile a detailed report of all mall promotional events this year, including the specific allocations given to each store. I expect it to be on my desk by tomorrow morning.”

Hannah was speechless. Because this year, the mall had barely given any promotional support to Marc Gerbers. In fact, they never had. All those promotional slots had gone to the brands that had bribed her. Now that Summer was demanding a detailed report, it would expose the mall’s unfair resource distribution. It was obvious that Summer was targeting her directly.

Summer wasn’t even the head of Stewart Group yet, but she already carried herself like its rightful owner. If she ascended to power, those who had built the company would inevitably be pushed out.

Hannah gritted her teeth. No. I absolutely can’t let Summer become the head of Stewart Group.

Summer didn’t bother acknowledging her further. She led the group of executives onward to continue the mall inspection. The executives resumed reporting on their respective stores’ data. Only this time, everyone was far more alert. After witnessing Summer’s sharpness just now, no one dared to slack off.

One of the executives spoke up. “Ms. Stewart, just ahead is the Louvertin store. It’s a luxury brand from Belvare. All their shoes are custom-designed to attract Havenbrook’s wealthy clientele. It’s one of the best-performing stores in our mall this year.”

Summer took the report, flipping through it as she walked. Suddenly, a sharp, commanding female voice rang out from the store. “Summer, get in here!”

Summer lifted her gaze. An elderly woman stood inside, dressed in a custom-tailored dress of deep rose velvet, embroidered with large floral patterns. In her hand, she carried a luxury handbag.