Best Buy Co. Store workers announced this week that the retailer is cutting some jobs and reducing hours, according to people familiar with the situation, as the big box chain is adapting to a world where more shopping takes place online.
The company has reported rising sales in recent quarters as pandemic-tired shoppers stock up on devices, video game systems and other electronics. Comparable sales, those on websites or stores that have been operating for at least 12 months, increased by 23% in the quarter ended October 31. Much of the revenue came from online orders, which nearly tripled in the US in the last quarter.
A company spokesman declined to comment on the details of the job cuts. “As I said before, the shopping behavior of customers will be permanently changed in an even more digital way,” said the spokesman. “Our workforce will need to evolve to meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers, while providing more flexible opportunities for our people.”
Jordan Diaz, 27, quit working at Best Buy on Wednesday. “I was told that I would be capped at 28 hours, which is not full time and so I lose my insurance,” he said. The Denver resident previously worked about 30 to 40 hours a week, earning health insurance for himself and his wife, he said. Some of his colleagues were fired on Wednesday, he said.
The company had 125,000 full-time and part-time employees as of January 2020. Best Buy reached about 51,000 employees in early April, including almost all of its part-time employees, as it closed most of its stores at the beginning of the pandemic until all but boarding. In June, Best Buy began bringing back domesticated workers and in August raised its initial wage to $ 15 an hour.