Marcus Lemonis, the businessman and TV personality who won a bankruptcy auction for St. Paul-based Gander Mountain last week, on Friday clarified some of his plans for the outdoors retailer in a rollicking conversation on Twitter.
In one tweet, Lemonis said he's trying to keep the company's headquarters in St. Paul. "Costs have to come down," he also tweeted.
As the tweets became less frequent Friday afternoon, Lemonis had not precisely said how many of the 162 Gander Mountain stores will remain open. In one tweet, he said "very few decisions" have been made on closings. "I've announced the absolute ones that are in," he said.
Reports have conflicted since Camping World Holdings, which Lemonis owns, last week acquired 17 Gander Mountain stores and the right to own others. He initially said half the 162 would close. Later reports suggested a smaller number.
Friday morning, Lemonis responded piecemeal to various tweets that asked which locations were closing.
In some cases, Lemonis appeared to be waiting to hear on the concessions he needs from landlords to keep the stores operating. Asked variously about stores in Castleton, Ind., Traverse City, Mich., and Joliet, Ill., Lemonis wrote, "Waiting on landlord."
Others received a hopeful tweet. Cicero, N. Y.? "Looking good." The nine remaining stores in Minnesota? "Update coming soon."
There was good news for the Hattiesburg, Miss., store which, "Will remain a @gandermtn," he tweeted. Others getting preliminary good news were locations in Wisconsin (Kenosha, Madison, Eau Claire, La Crosse), and Pennsylvania (Greensburg, York, Williamsport). By late afternoon, Lemonis had mentioned nearly 30 stores that would stay open or were "looking good."
