Thu Feb. 19 2009 2:11:42 PM
Sears Canada lays off nearly 350 employees amid economic woes
cp24.com
The Sears store at Chinook Centre in Calgary, Alberta. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia: Thivierr)
Sears Canada joined the growing list of Canadian businesses laying off employees by letting go of nearly 350 workers on Thursday.
The company's director of corporate communications, Vincent Power, confirmed to CP24 that the retailer is laying off less one percent of its 35,000 employees.
Power says the layoffs will affect the product repair services business and head office employees based in downtown Toronto.
Some of the layoffs are across Canada, however most of the positions affected are in Toronto.
Power would not say whether more layoffs would happen in the future but believes the layoffs will not affect customer service levels.
"We are reviewing our business operations in this difficult economy and trying to take action to run our business properly," he says.
The layoffs are effective immediately.
News of the job cuts at the retailing giant comes close to three weeks after the Hudson's Bay Company announced it was letting go of 1,000 jobs - about five percent of its full-time workforce.
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Comments are now closed for this story
February 19, 2009 at 3:17:11 PM
Gerry-Oshawa
Why isn't the goverment bailing these people out, they work just as hard as the auto people, they pay taxes the same as the auto people, they live in the same homes buy the same food. what makes them different from the auto workers?????
February 19, 2009 at 3:17:41 PM
Mike
Less than one percent laid off and this makes the big news. I know you guys are in business of reporting what's going on in the world but these types of news worldwide are what's causing people to be even more freaked out and less eager to spend.
This in turns makes the bad situation even worse.
February 19, 2009 at 4:04:10 PM
John
Make sense, normal, when u look at the way customer is treated.
Sell good products at reasonable prices and you will see customers coming.
To management:
STOP CRYING AND START ACTING
February 19, 2009 at 4:13:11 PM
Valeria Gonzalez
To Mike (above) I don't think this story should really touch on the effect these layoffs will have on customer service, perhaps all these news stories should focus their 'recession related’ news on how these layoffs effect the individual, their families, the economy. “these types of news worldwide are what's causing people to be even more freaked out and less eager to spend. This in turns makes the bad situation even worse.” Property tax on the rise, Rogers hiking up their prices for cable and internet... amongst other things,,, This is what makes people less eager to spend. Some families have no choice but to be freaked out. Someone should really follow through on the trickle down effect here.... I’m not one for bad news all the time, I do feel we as Canadians will rise about this tough time, but for the middle class who are struggling to get by... 350 people getting laid is News!
February 19, 2009 at 4:24:32 PM
Don
You hit the nail on the head, Mike. The media can take most of the blame for making the recession what it is. A company laying off less than 1% of its workforce would not be news if it was not a recession. The media is loving the recession. Its all they talk about. You cant turn on a radio, television, or the net without reading about doom and gloom in the economy. Enough!
February 19, 2009 at 5:04:49 PM
"Lucky" Sears Employee
Also to Mike...I work at Sears Headquarters, and my day was horrendous. I watched nearly 350 long-term employees (some with as many as 35 years with the company) get escorted out of the building. If this didn't make the news, it would have been an insult to those hardworking people!
February 19, 2009 at 5:09:01 PM
Winston-Woodbridge
I feel sorry for the 350 people laid off as I was too laid off a few months ago. Times are tough indeed. I pray to Jesus that his grace will lift us up in these troubling economic times.
February 19, 2009 at 6:24:20 PM
vita
Well I agree with Mike. Sears you deserve it. I have had nothing but bad luck with you. You do not listen to your customers. Your prices are outrageous. They should have really let the CEO go since he is probably getting those 350 people that got laid off combined salary anyway.
February 19, 2009 at 7:30:19 PM
DANNY
it is too bad the media has to keep playing this up all the time. We all know for months now that things are bad and getting worse all these companies like the Bay- Walmart-Sears etc just take advantage of the depression here and get an easy excuse to drop the bucket. they are not your $40hr.GM workers but somewhere between the ontario min. wage plus group so the politicans don' really give a crap.
February 19, 2009 at 9:46:48 PM
joebama
To Vita,
No one deserve this, however its the economic situation that made the 350 workers laid off, and its not a question of product pricing because I believe Sears is one of the few retails that carries a great product, the kenmore appliances, the wholehome furniture, Natuzzi......there is a difference of product sold at walmart to Sears...its the quality