Belk conducts another mass layoff at its Charlotte corporate office
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Katie Peralta/Axios Charlotte
Belk laid off an undisclosed number of employees at its corporate office in Charlotte this week, marking the latest blow for the formerly family-run icon.
Corporate employees had been working from home since the coronavirus shutdown began, like countless other Charlotte workers. According to multiple people familiar with the situation, the ones who were cut received their calls Tuesday. They asked that their names not be used over fear of retaliation.
In accordance with mandates from the state, Belk closed its brick-and-mortar stores temporarily a few months ago. Belk furloughed a large portion of its local workforce in March, spokeswoman Jenny Anderson says. That wasn’t enough to prevent this week’s layoffs.
“In order to weather the impacts of COVID-19, Belk has had to make some of the most difficult decisions of its 130-year history,” Anderson said in a statement sent to the Agenda. “The extended effects of the pandemic have necessitated the development of dramatic operational efficiencies. As a result, today we announced the elimination of a number of positions, primarily at our corporate office.”
It’s unclear exactly how many jobs Belk cut. Anderson did not respond to additional questions.
Belk’s latest layoff comes a few months after the company cut about 80 jobs from its corporate office. That move was to “help simplify corporate operations, more efficiently align teams and position Belk to continue to grow,” the retailer told the Charlotte Observer in a statement.
The department store chain, founded in Monroe in 1888, is a Charlotte institution.
The Belks are one of the most philanthropic and influential families in the city’s history. Their name adorns a freeway and the business college at UNC Charlotte. Former CEO John Belk, son of founder William H. Belk, was mayor of Charlotte for four terms.
The Belks remained at the helm of the company until 2015, when the family decided to sell the company to a New York private equity firm, Sycamore Partners, for $3 billion. Sycamore’s portfolio includes a range of national retailers, from Hot Topic to Nine West to The Limited.
Michael Freitag, who handles PR for Sycamore, responded via email to the Agenda but would not answer questions about layoffs.
“Sycamore has no comment,” Freitag said.