Tragic layoffs and shop closures are part of the process by which a legendary outdoor gear retailer is cutting back on inventory.
In a move to secure its position as a family-owned, purpose-driven brand for the next 170 years, Orvis intends to lay off 112 workers, or around 8% of the crew.
Some locations will be closing and the legendary catalog will be discontinued; President Simon Perkins announced this in an email statement.
This Vermont-based store will also be streamlining its product choices. They are well-known for selling outdoor goods, fishing gear, and bird shooting gear.
We aim to hone in on what matters most for the brand, even though this can reduce top-line sales.
At present, Orvis works with over 400 dealers worldwide and has 80 stores in the United States.
This transition will occur within the course of the following twelve months.
After two months of full salary and benefits, employees who are let off will receive extra severance, assistance with health insurance and job transitions, and additional relief.
Perkins recognized the challenges of these decisions and highlighted how they will affect workers and their communities.
From its inception in 1856 to the present day, Orvis has seen several cycles of change. However, as pointed out by Perkins, the current challenges are particularly severe, necessitating courageous steps to continue sharing engaging stories, experiences, and goods with customers.
While they weren’t the ones who started it all, the Perkins family has been at the helm of the business for 60 years.
In related news, a struggling gas station chain has filed for bankruptcy, which came as a surprise.
Simon Perkins, who took over as president four years ago, has a wealth of knowledge as a Montana fishing and hunting guide and a background as chief operations officer.
Following his arrival at Orvis, he set out to promote conservation efforts and diversify fly fishing.
Cutting out the catalog will let the company refocus its marketing efforts and eliminate a “limited number” of stores, all while cutting paper use by more than 2,500 tons per year.
The company’s dedication to conservation activities, serious fishermen, and wingshooters has not wavered, even if Orvis caters to more than just fishing and bird hunting enthusiasts.
The company’s fly rods are still made in Southern Vermont, and they just celebrated the launch of their new Helios rod and remarkable Magnitude clear fly line collection.
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Perkins restated the primary objective of the organization: to continue to be a purpose-driven brand that serves its customers, workers, partners, and the environment for the next 170 years.
While some methods may have worked in the past, he stressed that we must change if we want to continue to reap the benefits of our prior efforts.
Along with Orvis, several outdoor apparel companies have also announced layoffs in the past few months due to these difficulties.
