Hasbro has announced that it is cutting 1,000 jobs or about 15 percent of its global workforce after warning that its upcoming holiday quarter results would come in lower than expected.
"The elimination of these positions will impact many loyal Hasbro employees, and we do not undertake this process lightly," said CEO Chris Cocks. "However, the changes are necessary to return our business to a competitive, industry-leading position and to provide the foundation for future success."
The company said the layoffs fit into a larger company goal of delivering $250-300 million in annualized cost savings by the end of 2024. The plan will also bring an organizational overhaul, beginning with the departure of Eric Nyman, president and chief operating officer.
Nyman's department, consumer products, apparently underperformed compared to the rest of the business.
“Despite strong growth in Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming, Hasbro Pulse, and our licensing business, our Consumer Products business underperformed in the fourth quarter against the backdrop of a challenging holiday consumer environment,” Cocks said.
Hasbro said Wizards of the Coast is expected to have generated $339 million in the fourth quarter, a 22 percent increase over the previous year.
The company will report its full fourth quarter results on Feb. 16.
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A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
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