Sophisticates' Corner Sells Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories at a Suburban

Essay

Sophisticates' Corner sells clothing, shoes, and accessories at a suburban location near Boston. Information for the just concluded calendar year follows.
Management is considering closing the shoe operation because of the loss and expanding the space that is currently devoted to accessories sales. A salaried salesperson in the shoe department who earns $45,000 will be terminated; however, all other departmental fixed costs will continue to be incurred. Sophisticates' Corner will spend $16,000 on remodeling costs and anticipates that accessories sales will increase by $70,000. This additional sales revenue is expected to generate a 35% contribution margin for the firm. Finally, because clothing customers often purchased shoes and feel strongly about "one-stop shopping," clothing sales are expected to fall by 15% if the shoe department is closed.
Required:
Determine whether the shoe department should be closed.