The sudden closure not only took the employees by surprise, it shocked Store Manager B.K. Jain as well. "It came as a blow to me," he said, adding that the "decision to close the store was taken in view of the fact that it was running into losses amounting to Rs 2 lakh per month". The visibly-distressed local manager also expressed doubts as to the fate of the NANZ outlet in Patiala.

NANZ senior executive Allen Duke and HRD manager Col V. Kapur handed out letters to the store's six confirmed employees, informing them of termination of service at Chandigarh. Around 4 p.m., they were given letters of appointment instructing them to join NANZ's New Delhi outlet on January 21.

A senior employee described his situation as "impossible". "How can we wrap up our things and sprint to Delhi at an hour or two's notice and survive in a place like Delhi on our meagre salary?" According to employees, no prior notice had been served on them. Uncertain of their future, the employees do not dispute the company's right to close the shop but have urged it to compensate them for its abrupt decision.

The NANZ executives from New Delhi declined to comment. A joint venture of Goetze (India) Ltd, NANZ (Germany) & Marsh (USA), the store was being run on international lines.