Dive Brief:
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With the goal of enduring for “another 170 years as a family-owned, purpose-driven brand,” Orvis is laying off 112 employees (about 8% of its workforce), closing some stores and dropping its iconic catalog, President Simon Perkins said in an emailed statement.
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The Vermont retailer, which specializes in fishing and bird shooting gear as well as outdoor apparel, is also narrowing its assortment, which will reduce top-line sales but focus the brand, per the statement. Orvis operates more than 80 U.S. locations and works with a network of more than 400 dealers globally.
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The changes will roll out over the next 18 months, Perkins said. Those affected by layoffs will receive two months of full pay and benefits, additional severance pay, and assistance with health insurance and job transition services. “We know this work is necessary. We also know that it is difficult, because it impacts the lives of our associates and communities,” he said.
Dive Insight:
Any retailer with this history — the brand was founded in 1856 — is bound to change as years go by, but this time the need is especially acute, according to Perkins’ statement, in which he said the company had “reached an inflection point.”
“Over the course of our nearly 170-year history, the company has experienced similar cycles, but today’s challenges are new, and they require us to be bold in order to continue sharing stories, experiences, and products that inspire our customers well into the future,” he said.
Although not the founders, the Perkins family has been at the helm for six decades. Perkins was appointed president of the company four years ago, but already had a hand in formulating business strategy in his previous role as chief operating officer. Perkins also brings a perspective shared by many of his customers, having spent more than a decade as a hunting and fishing guide in Montana. Since joining Orvis, he has worked to diversify fly fishing and promote conservation.
His grandfather Leigh H. Perkins acquired the company in 1965 and his father Leigh “Perk” Perkins previously served as CEO.
Perkins said the company will close a “limited number” of stores, and that discontinuing the catalog “will allow us to refocus our storytelling and product selling in ways that better reach and inspire our current and future customers, and will eliminate the use of over 2,500 tons of paper annually.”
Orvis caters to an audience beyond bird hunting and fishing aficionados, but retains its dedication to serious anglers, wingshooters and conservationists. The company still manufactures fly rods at its Southern Vermont shop, and had its “most successful launch in history with the new Helios rod, and Scientific Anglers introduced revolutionary product with the Magnitude clear fly line collection,” Perkins said.
He also said that its core apparel and hard goods are performing well with wholesale partners.
“Our goal is simple: another 170 years as a family-owned, purpose-driven brand ... committed to providing long-lasting value to our customers, our employees, our partners, and the natural world,” he said. “To reach this goal, we need to make adjustments within our company that will untether us from aspects of a historical model that served Orvis well in the past but need to evolve to move us forward.”
Orvis joins other retailers in the outdoor space, including REI and Patagonia, in resorting to layoffs in recent months.
