(Liz) Claibourne Targets Huge Layoffs, Store Closings

[UpInArms]

Source: New York Post Business Page

May 29, 2007 -- Liz Claiborne executives are bracing for a bloodletting - part of an overall-strategic review to be unveiled later this summer - The Post has learned.

The sizable job cuts, expected within the next few weeks, are said to be across all levels of the company and could total as much as 10 percent of the work force, sources said. Liz Claiborne employed 17,000 full-time staffers worldwide as of December, according to its most recent annual report.

A Liz Claiborne spokeswoman declined to comment on the potential layoffs, but the company alluded to "additional streamlining" when it reported first-quarter earnings earlier this month.

<snip>

Liz Claiborne recently reported a 65 percent decline in first-quarter earnings and lowered full-year results, mainly because of a shortfall in department store orders.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/seven/05292007/business/liz_losing_lines_business_suzanne_kapner.htm

[Demeter]

1. Women Noticed. That's Why Dept. Store Sales Are Down!

Claiborne is the only designer who designs for WOMEN, not coat hangers, not prostitutes, not drag queens, not teeny boppers, or whatever they call themselves these days. Nor anorexics, nor 10 year olds, I could go on, but you get the picture. The classic and genetic female shapes.

[janetblond]

2. All U.S. retail operations are laying off

Retail sales are the lowest since 1970.
A recession is coming and this fake stock market "boom" is going to crash and blow up in GWB's face.

[UpInArms]

3. Welcome to DU, janetblond!

Glad to have you here :hi:

[Captain Hilts]

4. The sizing of women's clothes, the polyester materials, etc.

If at all possible to shop in the men's department, I do it. Natural fibres, helpful staff, cuts designed to be altered, free alterations, indirect lighting, antiques on display...no contest. Life's better in the men's department.

[july302001]

5. but...

Yeah, but when the zipper and belt is the <i>wrong way</i> it's obvious that it's a pair of men's trousers!

The only thing in the mens dept. I think I could get away with wearing would be something like a Hawaaian shirt.

[Captain Hilts]

6. You don't get a ball gown there, but ...

some women's clothing manufacturers make the buttons button the other way and there's no stigma to wearing a shirt that buttons to the right.

They started doing that when dry cleaners, sexistly, said they had to charge more to clean women's shirts because they buttoned the other way.

You'd be surprised. There are a lot of women who wear men's pants because they are alterable or because they aren't cut as high as women's pants are. Most people - certainly not men - notice which way the fly goes. I don't wear stuff like that out for an evening, but to the office? Sure.

[zalinda]

7. I wouldn't think about which way a fly is zipped

unless I'm doing the zipping, same thing with the buttons. And as for the cleaners, as any mom if it is more difficult to do girl's shirts or boy's shirts, and she'll tell you she can't tell the difference, it becomes automatic.

zalinda

[zalinda]

8. When people don't have money, one of the first things

to go is new clothes, if the old ones will still do. These companies still don't get it, if people aren't working, they are not going to buy your product. Outsourcing jobs gives others the money and not the people here in the US to spend on $50 shirts.

zalinda

[july302001]

9. agree

Totally agree. I've been buying my clothes used for the last year or more.

[AndyA]

12. You mean when all the jobs are gone overseas, Americans won't be able to *BUY* anything?

Why, that's down right clever of you to figure out, zalinda!

Would you please run for high office, because we don't have anyone there smart enough to figure this out!

zalinda for President! Do it for America!! :rofl:

Seriously, this does seem to be the one big flaw, doesn't it? Low paying service oriented jobs won't keep lots of businesses open, because there's no extra money to go around. Seems to be an easy thing to understand, but the powers that be in this country are busily going about sending all of our good jobs overseas. Go figure. :shrug:

[Javaman]

10. As gas goes up, the economy goes down...

expect the layoff and the closings of businesses to become common place in the years to come.

[cliss]

11. Go to the local Goodwill.

The stuff is beautiful. Lots of it is brand-new, never even been worn.

Besides, all the stuff ends up there, anyway.

And I've always said that the GW has a better selection than Nordstrom because they cram in about 100 times as much:smoke: