07 January 2015 (14:01 UTC-07 Tango)/16 Rab al’Awwal 1436/17 Dey 1393/17 Yi-Chou 4712
California based Wet Seal said Happy New Year by unleashing their “Store Project” op which will shutdown 338 stores and render about 37-hundred (3,695 according to the press release, that about half its employees) people jobless in 2015!
Store managers have already received specially marked boxes in which store iPods, phones, card scanners and cash machines are to be packed in and shipped off to Wet Seal HQ. Store employees report these ‘Store Project’ packages were received with no mention that their store was being shutdown.
Some employees said corporate administrators told them to expect “remodeling” of their stores, but it turns out they’re being shutdown forever. Other employees who questioned the security of their jobs said they were told there was no need for them to look for a new job, now they’re unemployed!
It was store employees who went public with the massive shutdown and job destruction last week, and it was finally confirmed with company administrators today. Administrators said only 173 Wet Seal stores will remain open.
Laid off employees are not getting any type of severance and will lose their accrued paid vacation and sick leave! There are reports out of Washington state that Wet Seal employees were fired for protesting the ‘Store Project’ operation.
The following incomplete list includes stores that were shutdown in the past week:
California: Clovis Crossing Regional Shopping Center, Packwood Creek West Shopping Center. News reports said there was no comment from the Neither Fashion Fair store.
Florida: DeSoto Square Mall, Sarasota Square Mall, Regency Square Mall, reports said nobody answered the Wet Seal phone at The Avenues Mall.
Minnesota: Rosedale, Southdale, Maplewood Mall, Burnsville Center, Crossroads Center , Miller Hill Mall, Apache Mall.
Missouri: Both West County Mall stores, Saint Louis Galleria, Chesterfield Mall, Mid Rivers Mall, Saint Louis Premium Outlets.
Nebraska: Gateway Mall.
New Jersey: Hamilton Mall, Rockaway Townsquare, Livingston Mall and Garden State Plaza. Reports say nobody was answering the phones at the Menlo Park Mall and Quakerbridge Mall stores.
North Carolina: Four Seasons Town Centre, Northgate Mall.
Ohio: Great Northern Mall, Great Lakes Mall, Richmond Town Square, Belden Village, Beachwood Place, Chapel Hill Mall, SouthPark Mall, Summit Mall, Eastwood Mall and Southern Park Mall. Only one Wet Seal store will remain open in Ohio.
Pennsylvania: South Hills Village, Monroeville Mall, Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, Westmoreland Mall, Waterfront, Ross Park Mall.
Washington: Ballston, Bowie Town Center, Lake Forest Mall, Saint Charles Town Center and Manassas Mall.
Wisconsin: Brookfield Square, Southridge Mall, Valley View Mall, East Town Plaza, Bay Park Square.
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