Where Is Retailing's Bold Management?

Fifty-eight Gottschalks stores, many being the economic heart of their town, being liquidated. Such a shame.  When is retailing going to be willing to take bold steps?  Are managements too wimpy?  Or is it too many "bean counters" and not enough merchants making the decisions today?

Before throwing in the sponge, did Gottschalks look at closing their stores on, say, the three slowest days of the week?  They could be open on whatever 4 days their own data shows their customers prefer to shop.  (And it may not be the same in every town.)  

What's outrageous about that?  Not only might they have reduced overhead by 25-35%, but their very best sales associates would have been available to customers almost all the hours the stores were open.  What a concept!  The best help on the best days for the best customers!

Instead, after 105 years of serving these smaller communities, Gottschalks is going dark full time.  And their towns are going even darker all the time.  Sad.  And maybe unnecessary.

Isn't there an organization bold enough to grab Gottschalks and try out this concept?