Vermont-based Orvis will lay off 112 workers, close some retail locations, and discontinue its legendary catalog “to enable a smaller and more agile business.”
“Orvis is in a period of business evolution that requires us to think differently. Over the course of our nearly 170-year history, the company has experienced similar cycles, but today’s challenges are new, and they require us to be bold in order to continue sharing stories, experiences, and products that inspire our customers well into the future,” Orvis president Simon Perkins wrote in a statement Friday attained by VTDigger.
The 112 workers affected represent 8% of Orvis’ workforce. Orvis didn’t disclose the number of retail locations it plans to close. Orvis operates about 70 retail stores and 10 outlet locations in the U.S. and 18 retail stores and one outlet store in the UK
Orvis has claimed to be the oldest mail-order retailer in the U.S., having produced catalogs since the late 1800s.
The layoffs come as Orvis In January announced it was moving its headquarters from Sunderland, VT to smaller offices in Manchester, VT to support “an evolution of a hybrid work environment.”
Perkins reportedly said in Friday’s statement impacted employees “will receive two months of full pay and benefits, additional severance pay, and assistance with health insurance and job transition services.”
“The people we are saying goodbye to have made indelible impacts on the brand, their colleagues and the lives of our customers. We are investing the time, care and resources needed to honor and support them throughout this process.”
Photo courtesy Orvis
