STITCH FIX TO LAY OFF 1,400 EMPLOYEES IN CALIFORNIA

On Monday, online retailer and wardrobe styling service Stitch Fix said it would lay off 1,400 stylists in California between now and the end of September. The cuts affect about 18 percent of its workforce.

In March, Stitch Fix had to close two of its distribution centers, one in California and another in Pennsylvania, temporarily to comply with COVID-19 health orders. In April, the company withdrew guidance for the third quarter and fiscal year 2020 because of uncertainty amid the pandemic.

Stitch Fix said Monday that it plans to eventually hire 2,000 stylists in U.S. locations which have a lower cost of living than cities in California – places like Austin, Texas, or Minneapolis. The company will be hiring stylists outside of California starting this summer and continuing into 2021, a spokesperson said, and laid off stylists will have the chance to relocate and continue working.

Employees who do not want to relocate will receive a minimum two-week severance payment, continued healthcare, help to get another job, and possible bonuses for staying on until the layoffs are complete.

“We have taken the very difficult decision to reduce the number of Stylists in our styling team in California, as we invest in our other styling hubs across the U.S., and the innovations that will help evolve our experience in the future,” Katrina Lake, founder and CEO of Stitch Fix, said in a statement. “All of our California-based stylists will be offered the opportunity to relocate to the new roles in other states.”

“Any decision that impacts our hardworking and talented people is incredibly tough, but we believe this is the right thing to do for our business,” Lake added. “We are committed to supporting our people through this by providing as much financial stability as possible, including severance payments that increase with tenure, bonuses for Stylists staying with us during the transition period, extended healthcare and recruitment resources.”