Not long after its failed merger with Kroger, Albertsons is laying off more than 150 corporate workers in California from its subsidiary Safeway.
Boise, Idaho, U.S.A.-based Albertsons will cut 156 Safeway employees at two offices in Pleasanton, California, U.S.A., according to WARN notices. The cuts will go into effect on 22 February.
Additionally, Albertsons confirmed corporate layoffs at its Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.-based office in mid-January, which impact around 225 Safeway employees, Grocery Dive reported.
In late January, Albertsons confirmed that it was laying off corporate and division staff members in a statement emailed to SeafoodSource, without providing details on the number of positions or whether seafood executive staff would be impacted.
While the company recently reported a sales increase in its third quarter results for its 2024 fiscal year and said it is in strong financial condition, the company “cannot stand still and must constantly recalibrate our company to compete in a rapidly changing market,” the statement said.
“Our strategy … includes finding new sources of productivity to enable us to invest in growth,” Albertsons said. “After many years of productivity efforts across several parts of our company, we recently turned our attention to our general and administrative expenses and made the difficult decision to reduce the size of our corporate and division support workforce.”
“No store-level associates were impacted where we serve our customers and communities,” an Albertsons spokesperson told SeafoodSource at the time.
Similarly, Walmart said it is eliminating some positions and closing its office in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A., according to an internal memo, Reuters reported.
The company is also asking employees in Hoboken, New Jersey U.S.A. and some of its smaller offices to relocate to its newly opened headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.A. and its office in Sunnyvale, California, U.S.A., Donna Morris, Walmart Chief People Officer wrote in the 4 February memo.
The initiatives are part of Walmart's broader relocation strategy that began last year, Reuters said, after the massive global retailer unveiled a new headquarter campus in northwest Arkansas that will be completed by fiscal year 2026. Additionally, the retailer is opening new office spaces in Sunnyvale, California, U.S.A., and Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A., later this year.
Last fall, Walmart and Sam’s Club also announced plans to merge their corporate supply chain teams. Walmart U.S. Executive Vice President of Supply Chain Operations David Guggina said in a memo that the change will enable the two companies to benefit from a more streamlined product sourcing strategy and better leverage available infrastructure, according to Business Insider.
