Shaw’s to Lay off 4 Percent of Full-time Workers Chainwide
Shaw’s Supermarkets last week informed its 25,000 employees that it would lay off 4 percent of its full-time retail workforce, according to a published report. The layoffs will take place throughout the West Bridgewater, Mass.-based chain’s 176 locations in New England.
“This is part of our effort to operate more efficiently and to compete in the global market more effectively,” Shaw’s spokeswoman Judy Chong told Foster’s Daily Democrat in Dover, N.H. Chong declined to differentiate between the number of full- and part-time workers at the grocer, a division of Minneapolis-based Supervalu.
"During the past few months, Shaw's has been looking at how we can operate more efficiently, keep costs down, put more focus on the customer and compete more effectively in the marketplace," Supervalu spokeswoman Haley Marconett told Progressive Grocer. "As part of this effort, Shaw's informed about 4 percent of our store associates that, unfortunately, we need to reduce some full-time retail positions. As always, we will work with everyone who is affected by this change to ensure as smooth a transition process as possible."
Shaw’s is still on track to close, sell or transfer ownership of all of its Connecticut stores by the end of March. Wakefern Food Corp., the corporate arm of ShopRite stores, and Ahold USA’s Stop & Shop have bought 11 and five of the chain’s locations, respectively. No further store closures are anticipated in tandem with the layoffs, Chong told the newspaper, adding that the reduction in workforce is unrelated to the company’s plan to hire permanent workers to replace those striking since early March at its Methuen, Mass., warehouse.
“This is part of our effort to operate more efficiently and to compete in the global market more effectively,” Shaw’s spokeswoman Judy Chong told Foster’s Daily Democrat in Dover, N.H. Chong declined to differentiate between the number of full- and part-time workers at the grocer, a division of Minneapolis-based Supervalu.
"During the past few months, Shaw's has been looking at how we can operate more efficiently, keep costs down, put more focus on the customer and compete more effectively in the marketplace," Supervalu spokeswoman Haley Marconett told Progressive Grocer. "As part of this effort, Shaw's informed about 4 percent of our store associates that, unfortunately, we need to reduce some full-time retail positions. As always, we will work with everyone who is affected by this change to ensure as smooth a transition process as possible."
Shaw’s is still on track to close, sell or transfer ownership of all of its Connecticut stores by the end of March. Wakefern Food Corp., the corporate arm of ShopRite stores, and Ahold USA’s Stop & Shop have bought 11 and five of the chain’s locations, respectively. No further store closures are anticipated in tandem with the layoffs, Chong told the newspaper, adding that the reduction in workforce is unrelated to the company’s plan to hire permanent workers to replace those striking since early March at its Methuen, Mass., warehouse.