Walmart reportedly cutting e-commerce fulfillment center jobs
Walmart is reducing or eliminating weekend and evening shifts at five of its e-commerce fulfillment centers, a move that has resulted in hundreds of workers being laid off. Those associates are being asked to find jobs within 90 days at other company locations, according to a Reuters report that cites Walmart spokesperson confirmation.
The affected facilities are in Pedricktown, N.J.; Fort Worth, Texas; Chino, Cali.; Davenport, Fla.; and Bethlehem, Pa. "We recently adjusted staffing levels to better prepare for the future needs of customers," Walmart said in a statement to Reuters.
[Read more: Walmart to reportedly close 3 technology hubs]
The Walmart spokesperson said those impacted by the layoffs would be paid for 90 days to find jobs at other fulfillment centers or in eligible roles at Walmart's stores. New high-tech e-commerce distribution centers are included, namely those that recently opened in Joliet, Ill., and Lancaster, Texas.
In February, the retailer stated in a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal that it was shutting down three of its U.S. technology hubs, located in Austin, Texas; Portland, Ore.; and Carlsbad, Calif. Hundreds of affected workers would be forced to relocate in order to keep their jobs, though Walmart said it would pay for workers in those locations to transfer.
Walmart also recently revealed that it was shuttering stores in the Illinois suburbs of Homewood and Plainfield and closing another pickup-only site in Lincolnwood. The retailer is also preparing to cease store operations at a site on Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee and is closing one store in southeast Albuquerque, N.M., as well as a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Pinellas Park, Fla., near Tampa.
[Read more: Walmart’s employee education program offering online tech courses]
The company did show continued momentum when it shared its fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2022 results on Feb. 21, with solid performances in its stores and e-commerce operations. Walmart reported total revenue of $164.0 billion, an increase of 7.3%, or 7.9% in constant currency for Q4.
Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide.
This story originally appeared on Progressive Grocer.