Warby Parker Cuts 15% of Corporate Workforce

The direct-to-consumer pioneer and eyeware brand Warby Parker is eliminating 63 corporate positions, or 15 percent of its corporate workforce, Business Insider first reported this week.

In an internal memo to employees, Warby Parker co-founders Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa said the layoffs included customer-facing roles on the retail and consumer experience teams, as well as employees at the company's optical lab.

“As we've discussed over the past few weeks, the global economy is facing significant volatility and uncertainty. This is affecting consumer behavior in every industry, including the optical industry. As a business, we have to adapt, which sometimes involves making difficult decisions in the best interest of the company,” the internal memo said.

In a statement to Business Insider, Warby Parker said, "While this was an incredibly difficult decision, we are making these changes to operate in a more focused and agile way and to more efficiently capitalize on our highest impact opportunities."

Total Retail's Take: Warby Parker is the latest buzzed about D-to-C company to cut its staff amid inflation, growing labor costs, and slow growth. Other retail disrupters attempting to correct their bottom lines have done the same: Allbirds recently laid off 23 employees, or 8 percent of its workforce; Shopify laid off 10 percent of its staff in July; and D-to-C beauty brand Glossier has had two rounds of layoffs this year. Furthermore, the apparel e-tailer Stitch Fix laid off 15 percent of its salaried workforce in June, with CEO Elizabeth Spaulding saying it was "an incredibly difficult decision" necessary to bring Stitch Fix back to profitability.