Belk department store says it is laying off over 300 workers in South Carolina
Charlotte-based Belk department store is laying off more than 300 workers starting next month and closing a South Carolina fulfillment center.
The Jonesville, S.C., fulfillment center at 3805 Furman L. Fendley Highway will close “in the near future,” according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter sent Feb. 28 to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
The layoff of 310 workers is expected to run from April 30 through May 28, Tim May, general vice president of supply chain operations said in a WARN report filed March 9.
“All positions and jobs at this location will be eliminated,” May said in the letter.
Some employees may be offered employment at other Belk locations. “However, we do not know at this time which employees, if any, will be given this option,” May said in the letter.
Meeting distribution demand
While other stores including Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Amazon are adding fulfillment centers in the Charlotte region to meet distribution demands, Belk is cutting back.
The decision to close the Jonesville center meets the needs of the company’s supply chain network after review of internal processes, Belk spokeswoman Jessica Rohlik told the Observer on Thursday.
“We know the closure will affect associates at the Jonesville fulfillment center, and we are committed to working with them in the coming weeks to provide resources during the transition,” Rohlik said.
The Union County center filled thousands of online orders each day, according to a 7News report.
Two years ago, Belk said it would invest $2.5 million to upgrade its Blythewood, S.C., distribution center over the next five years, The State newspaper in Columbia reported. The facility employs up to 103 people.
Belk bankruptcy a year ago
It’s been just over a year since Belk, owned by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Feb. 23, 2021. It had a plan to restructure and eliminate $450 million of debt.
Belk emerged from bankruptcy protection a day later. At that time the company said it did not intend to close stores or layoff any employees.
Last summer, Belk promoted Nir Patel from president and chief of merchandising officer to CEO, replacing Lisa Harper. Patel’s background included e-commerce and marketing for Belk for five years.
In July, Belk said it would sublease its corporate office on Tyvola Road where about 1,200 employees work.
Last month, retail experts told the Observer the iconic, Charlotte-based department store hasn’t been doing enough since emerging from bankruptcy.
The 134-year-old company has nearly 300 store in 16 southern states. Belk has about 17,000 full- and part-time workers at its stores and distribution centers.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Belk department store says it is laying off over 300 workers in South Carolina."