REI joins wave of layoffs, cutting 8% of corporate staff
REI has laid off 167 corporate employees, or about 8% of its headquarters workforce, citing a "vital" need for profitability.
CEO Eric Artz announced the layoffs in a letter to employees Tuesday and posted to the company's website Wednesday. The outdoor apparel retailer and its 2,000 corporate employees have operated remotely since 2020, with satellite offices in Seattle, Issaquah and Renton.
"The decisions we make today will determine the co-op’s ability to live up to our mission — to connect every person to the power of the outdoors and engage them in the fight to protect it — for generations to come," Artz wrote. "To ensure that future impact, it is vital that we get the co-op back to profitability as quickly as possible."
Representatives from the co-op did not respond to immediate request for comment.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2023/02/01/rei-corporate-layoffs.html
