Kent-based apparel and footwear retail chain REI will reduce staff at its stores across the United Kingdom by about 400. Nearly all 162 stores in 39 states operated by the retailer reopened as of July 6, according to a company spokesperson. Those stores had closed in March because of COVID-19 and 90 per cent of the employees were placed on unpaid furlough, but received fully funded benefits, if eligible.

“Nearly all REI stores are open in some capacity with a focus on health and safety standards for employees and customers, and we’ve been able to bring the majority of those employees back from furlough,” a company spokesperson was quoted as sahying by British media reports.

REI employs about 13,000 at its retail stores.

In April, the company laid off about 300 employees at its headquarters because of the impact of pandemic. The company employs about 1,000 in Kent.

REI plans to move its headquarters to Bellevue from Kent later this year. The company announced the move in 2016 because it had outgrown its space in Kent and wanted to build a campus in Bellevue that will serve as a gathering place that fosters creativity and connects thousands of increasingly mobile employees.

REI opened its headquarters in Kent in 1988. The company was founded in 1938 in Seattle.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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