Sprint cuts expenses by closing almost 400 stores and shutters

Sprint isn’t content to keep writing its financial statements in red ink. To that end, the company is shuttering 150 service and repair centers, 55 of its lowest performing retail stores and laying off some 330 repair techs. A handful of call centers have been closed, too. While these might seem troubling, the outfit’s Mark Bonavia tells CNET that the pre-planned cuts were made with the idea of “minimal disturbance” to the customer in mind.

Sprint recently cut a significant chunk of its staff dedicated to repairing and refurbishing phones and shut down its slower-performing stores, part of a broader effort to reduce the company’s costs in the face of continued financial struggles. The Overland Park, Kan., wireless carrier laid off 330 technical consultants, closing 150 service and repair centers across the country, a Sprint representative confirmed to CNET. It also shut down 55 of its worst-performing retail stores. The moves were part of a larger plan for layoffs and cuts that was announced in January. Sprint is attempting to streamline itself and return to profitability now that it is under the ownership of Japanese carrier SoftBank.