Add Hanesbrands Inc. to the list of companies cutting jobs in 2024.
The company famous for Hanes underwear and Champion athletic apparel has decided to suspend operations at its Annapolis distribution center (DC) in Winston-Salem, N.C. That decision will result in the loss of 159 jobs, according to a state required notice filed on Feb. 7. The job cuts are expected to be completed by April 5.
A Hanesbrand spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by press time. The company plans to repurpose the Annapolis DC, according to a statement given to the Winston-Salem Journal.
Related Stories
Hanesbrands didn’t say whether any other job cuts might be forthcoming. Last year the company cut an estimated 800 positions.
The apparel manufacturer announced job cuts in January as one way to control costs as it looked to the continued execution of its Full Potential plan. CEO Stephen B. Bratspies said at the time that macroeconomic conditions such as high inflation prompted a slowdown in consumer spending in the U.S. and Asia, while U.S. retailers struggled with high inventory levels and slow-moving stock. He said the shift in just six months was from “too much demand and not enough stock to one with too much supply and not enough demand.”
By August 2023, Hanesbrands was again making cost-cutting moves, including the shipping of 250 U.S. jobs offshore. The moves followed a “review” of global operations that saw the company make “structural changes” to “take costs out of the business.” And in the same month, the company said 230 people would be let go in September when its Clarksville, Ark. hosiery manufacturing plant closed, ending Hanesbrands’ claim of stateside cut-and-sew production. The company in 2022 said it was selling its domestic sheer hosiery business.
Hanesbrands is currently weighing options for its Champion brand, which could include a sale.
In other layoff news, the direct-to-consumer premium luggage brand Away plans to lay off 25 percent of its staff. The brand has been struggling since the COVID pandemic. It’s also had issues with its cofounder Steph Korey, who allegedly created a toxic work environment. Currently led by cofounder Jen Rubio, Away reportedly was considering a sale of the company last year.
Thus far this year over 18,517 fashion and retail jobs are said to be in jeopardy. Layoff announcements have come from Hanesbrand competitor Fruit of the Loom, H&M, Macy’s, Rent the Runway and Boohoo Group, among others.
