Tuesday Morning Shutting its Online Site

Tuesday Morning Corp. (Dallas) has shut down its online shopping site and will focus on its 850 stores.

The close-out retailer said online sales were just 1 percent of its total and couldn’t remain a top priority amid its broader turnaround plan.

On its web site and Facebook page, Tuesday Morning told shoppers it was “returning to its roots” and urged them to “keep an open mind and don't be too specific for what you're searching for,” describing its type of closeout shopping as a “treasure hunt.”

It has been estimated that the company sold enough online to make the web comparable to one its 50 best-performing stores, But the company hadn't invested enough in the technology, staff and supply chain capabilities needed to run a closeout e-commerce website and decided to focus on getting its physical stores in order.

Long-time ceo Kathleen Mason, who had heralded the online site as a way to strengthen the retailer's sales when it launched just over a year ago, was fired. (She’s suing the company, alleging Tuesday Morning dismissed her after she informed board members she has cancer.)

Interim ceo Michael Rouleau, formerly ceo of Michaels Stores Inc. (Irving, Texas), told investors that Tuesday Morning would focus on 12 short-term priorities in the next six months to “get us back on our way to being great once again,” including cleaning up its stores, developing a company identity and better managing its cash.

Tuesday Morning posted $812 million in revenue for the year ended June 2013.