Finally, a rational move. Maybe there’s a method to this madness and these steps were planned all along. The net effect is they need to boost demand by having a sale timed with end of the quarter. Announcing an expiration (price increase) does exactly that.
Now they could have taken a more direct approach and framed it just as a sale, without the store closure nonsense. Though then that may have driven more to speculate that an update must be just around the corner (and maybe there still is for S/X). The approach taken is a distraction, and probably generated more media publicity than otherwise possible.
However, in the end these moves cause collateral damage to employee loyalty and investor confidence. Is it really credible that they can just break 5 year leases at prime locations? No court would ever allow that, short of bankruptcy. Many high-end retail leases also impose additional penalties if a store isn’t open agreed upon hours. For some of these locations that didn’t turn out so great, having just one person there while keeping the store open may very well be cheaper than closing.
