Crate & Barrel has laid off about 4 percent of its corporate staff throughout the Chicago area in what a spokesman said is a necessary downsizing “to align our work force with our future business strategies.”
“Our goal is to provide the quality, value and service our customers deserve and have come to expect from Crate & Barrel, regardless of where or how they prefer to shop with us,” said Crate & Barrel spokesman Rich Cohrs in a statement.
He declined to elaborate. He described the number of layoffs as fewer than 30 out of more than 700 employees who work in Crate & Barrel’s corporate office locations throughout the Chicago area.
Founder Gordon Segal came out of retirement last year to act as a mentor to Crate’s leaders after the former CEO was fired in August 2014 after disappointing sales and employee discontent.
