NEW YORK—Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, announced on Sunday that it would eliminate 11,000 jobs, or 10 percent of its total workforce, at its Sam’s Club warehouse stores.
The positions would be lost because the company has decided to outsource in-store demonstrations and product sampling to an outside firm. Previously, Sam’s Club employees had performed those duties. The announcement comes just after recent U.S. unemployment figures have started to decline modestly.
The company announced the cuts at a meeting on Sunday, according to AP. Sam’s Club CEO Brian Cornell reportedly said in a memo that it hired Shopper Events to take over demonstrating products in its store locations.
The job cuts totaling 11,200 include 10,000 jobs related to product demonstrations and 1,200 positions related to membership recruiting.
Sam’s Club’s performance has lagged behind that of Wal-Mart’s namesake stores. In the latest quarter, Sam’s Club revenues fell 1 percent in the United States, while Wal-Mart grew its sales by 1.2 percent.
“I feel betrayed,” Sally Grueling, 56, said in an interview with AP. Grueling had worked at a Hilliard, Ohio, Sam’s Club for nine years.
The positions would be lost because the company has decided to outsource in-store demonstrations and product sampling to an outside firm. Previously, Sam’s Club employees had performed those duties. The announcement comes just after recent U.S. unemployment figures have started to decline modestly.
The company announced the cuts at a meeting on Sunday, according to AP. Sam’s Club CEO Brian Cornell reportedly said in a memo that it hired Shopper Events to take over demonstrating products in its store locations.
The job cuts totaling 11,200 include 10,000 jobs related to product demonstrations and 1,200 positions related to membership recruiting.
Sam’s Club’s performance has lagged behind that of Wal-Mart’s namesake stores. In the latest quarter, Sam’s Club revenues fell 1 percent in the United States, while Wal-Mart grew its sales by 1.2 percent.
“I feel betrayed,” Sally Grueling, 56, said in an interview with AP. Grueling had worked at a Hilliard, Ohio, Sam’s Club for nine years.
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