Is this going to be an interesting year as it relates to Urban Outfitters layoffs? Any chatter, news or rumors?
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Re the comments about product - half the issue is the level of involvement of leaders and owners in the development and buyers of product. Buyers don’t have the autonomy they did, and it’s showing in the assortment. Buying teams for the most part ARE the customer/similar age but aren’t listened to, and instead 50 year old +, rich out of touch execs push forward with their interpretation of what trend is
Replying to earlier comment- not all DAs- looks like half.
There’s obviously no respect for the employees in the field and it’s feeling more and more like there’s not even respect for our customer. We have the worst quality products of the three brands and are wondering why our customer isn’t buying anything. Buyers or production employees, any insight into what’s happening there? At this point it feels like a conspiracy where the right leaning rich people who own and control the company are toying with us and our customer because we are the youngest and most left-leaning demographic which they have no respect for.
So if ASM gets cut before VMM will the VMMs start being expected to work weekends, closing shifts, and perform operations and admin? There have been two VMM in my time with the company who openly say they refuse to work weekends and evenings leaving the ASMs to do anything visual in the evenings and weekends. The VMMs I’ve experienced have also refused to help post the schedule, perform interviews, disposition applicants, and so much more…. I’m just trying to understand the logic behind letting insanely operationally and visually talented ASM’s go when VMM’s refuse to do certain tasks….
So we’re DA’s all eliminated or just some? I noticed a couple people posting that they were open to work but not as many as I thought would.
Here’s to hoping karma is swift and vicious for all the execs + decision makers. xoxo
It’s a slow sinking ship. The product is absolute garbage. They’ve filled “high level” positions with grossly overpaid uncool retail sl--s who’ve jumped from brand to brand working their way up over the last what 20 years? Laying off some of the only positions that actually made Urban remotely artistic and relevant reveals you don’t get it. It also shows the entire fleet that there’s zero growth in the company. Everyone’s expected to manage more, do more - for what? Whats the end game? What’s the promotion? Oh right…. Why would anyone with any ounce of respect or drive stay? Good luck.
ASM’s will be cut before VMM’s
I mean, what do you expect when we work for Republican billionaires? They’re totally out of touch and doing everything they can besides firing the people responsible for these problems (“leadership”)
The DNA of this company is gone. It will continue to bleed money because the executives decide by looking at numbers on paper to cut some of the hardest workers. Instead of looking at what product is in the stores and realizing we have no idea how to buy for consumers and what our market wants…but hey, goldfish basketballs might save it.
The field (including the DM’s that were let go) work so hard every day. We have adapted to every new system thrown at us by HO and all we have to show for it is our favorite leaders being let go and ominous zoom calls from HO telling us to move forward. It’s just defeating.
Apparently more layoffs at midyear if sales don’t improve like a previous commenter said
commenter below what do you mean the worst is yet to come?
After this week I don’t know a single person aggressively looking for work elsewhere… this is a sinking ship and apparently the worst is far from over
Layoffs are over. the let the GMM of Men's go but that was way past due. Seems like a few people from each dept
What do you expect? It’s cheaply made garbage with high minimums made with glorified slave labor and marketed with greenwashing. As long as they keep leadership in tact, the organizations going to crumble. They’re the laughing stock of the industry and only getting worse…
No layoffs at Anthro or FP HO that I’ve heard of… UO HO layoffs are due to the continued sales decline and not surprising. It seems like they’re choosing to have a skeleton crew until things show improvement. Of course none of the decision makers/leaders at HO were effected…
are layoffs over for HO or are they continuing into next week?
any word on FP or Anthro HO?
Getting rid of DAs and moving towards a more corporate feeling in stores is what’s going to finish it off. Cutting away the positions and people that made this company fun and cool is going to reverberate through the brand. This is the exact same solution they came up with the first time we started struggling. This is atomistic vs systemic thinking. When the only goal is to appease shareholders and board members we will never get out of this rut.
It’s done. Mostly middle managers at home office. Also some DMs and a lot of DAs.
They are greedy. The longer you have worked there the more they have to pay you. People who have worked in the field for 20yrs got laid off (amazing people!!!).
Field Response:
We understand layoffs.... You didn't do your homework on who to cut .
Is it standard to only get one week per year you’ve worked? I feel like that’s low.
Also interesting that some people who have been working less than a year and have no direct manager were saved but others who’ve been there for over five years got cut…
As long as your Stores tier stays the same your store roles should be secure.
Does any one know if ASM or VMM will be affected by this?
anyone have any knowledge regarding business analysts?
Anyone have insight to the VMM role?
Does that mean even more layoffs to come when you say re-visit payroll?
commenter below - what do you mean accommodate PTO? like so people can use it up before the end of fiscal so you don’t do payouts?
We moved the layoff date up a week to accommodate PTO with the understanding we would revisit payroll mid year.
READ YOUR SEVERANCES CAREFULLY + CONSIDER LEGAL ACTION FOR ANY SHORT CHANGES SEVERANCE. NEGOTIATE WHILE YOU STILL CAN.
FYI men’s wasn’t eliminated, roles within it were though
Here’s hoping flailing execs get their karma within this year
Multiple DAs have been informed of the layoff as of this morning.
What do you mean all Urban Outfitters stores transitioned to online? There’s no way they’re closing all the stores… is there?
HO layoffs happened today, a week earlier than LY which took place on 1/23. At least 20 I know of across men's and women's and all departments were affected it seems - design/buying/sourcing/creative. Don't know anything about accessories or home teams.
Confirmed Field layoffs :
- District Manager (possible district consolidation tomorrow) lay offs coming
- Several Display Artist are listed for an "at home" meeting , likely severance offer via Zoom/email
- Full time roles adsorbed (high - mid volume roles +3 million stores)
Rumor
- Departments eliminated ( Men's , Macc ) expand Intimates & Home
- All Urban Outfitters stores transition to Online sales in future
any tech shared services being affected? feels like there’s a weirdness in the air
lots of designers laid off, also heard of significant layoffs in production and buying
Any updates as to what is going on? All DA’s asked to work from home tomorrow