Coach is laying off employees who work less than 30 hours per week at several of its locations, according to a report from the Huffington Post. The luxury brand and retailer will focus layoffs on a select number of its 36 Canadian locations that earn more than $1 million in annual sales.
Part-time associates at Coach’s Burlington, Ontario, location were given the legally required notice of six weeks, however, they were not offered a severance package, according to the report. The retailer has not provided any additional details about the decision, and it is unclear how many workers will lose their jobs.
A spokesperson at Coach noted that the layoffs will, in the end, help the retailer’s sales team develop deeper client relationships and retain more loyal shoppers.
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“In key stores throughout North America, we are focused on a more full-time staffing model — offering more full-time employment opportunities to current employees,”said Andrea Shaw Resnick, Global Head of Corporate Communications at Coach. Resnick did not indicate how many part-time employees were offered a chance to switch to full-time status.
The layoffs are the most recent in a series of shakeups for Coach. In June 2014, executives revealed that the brand was undergoing a significant transformation. Over the past year, Coach has shifted its promotional strategies, repositioned outlet stores, restricted access to the e-Commerce outlet and reinvested in its wholesale channel. As part of the transformation, Coach also has closed 56 stores across the U.S.
