A WARN notice has been filed by shoe company Rockport advising they may close their Massachusetts headquarters.
The Rockport Company has filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN) notice advising indicated it plans on laying off employees from its headquarters in Newton sometime between July 8 and July 22.
Rockport has 148 employees at its company headquarters at 1220 Washington St., overlooking the Massachusetts Turnpike in Newton.
The shoe manufacturer was founded in Massachusetts in 1971 and acquired by Reebok in 1986. It was sold again in 2015 to Berkshire Partners and New Balance Holding. It ran into financial difficulties before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018.
“I always enjoyed walking around Newton knowing that I was wearing shoes made by a local employer and member of our chamber... I was sad to hear the news that they might be contemplating leaving Newton.” Greg Reibman, president of the Charles River Regional Chamber
Footwear struggles
The retail industry has been struggling this year, and footwear retailers seem to be heavily impacted.
Shoe retailer Journeys this week announced it will close more than 100 stores over the next year. Shoe City closed all 39 of its stores across the nation on May 31, while Foot Locker has also announced it will close 400 stores.
Your thoughts
Are you concerned about the number of retail stores and businesses struggling across the United States? Should the government offer financial support for struggling businesses or laid-off workers? Do you fear we are heading towards a recession?
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