Major New Jersey Companies Announce Layoffs, Store Closings

Several major companies have announced store closings and layoffs in New Jersey that will leave hundreds without work.

Toys R Us, Macy's, Progresso Soup and Carrabba's/Bonefish Grill were among the major companies that say they're laying people off or will close stores and plants, which will lead to layoffs.

The decisions come after several retailers, restaurants and others reported lagging business, particularly during the holiday season when sales at Macy's and elsewhere fell short of expectations.

Here is what is happening:

• Macy’s: Macy's has announced it will close 34 more stores in 2017, just months after announcing that 66 stores will close. Stores in Moorestown, Voorhees and Wayne are set to shut their doors, but the new locations have not been identified. Read more here....
• Add Kmart to the list of companies that's closing numerous department stores nationwide - including four in New Jersey - as part of a large downsizing. Read more here...
• Progresso Soup: General Mills plans to close its Vineland manufacturing facility, which will put about 370 employees out of work, the company said Monday. That facility, which makes Progresso soup products, is expected to close by the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The Vineland facility has been operated by General Mills since 2001, according to a company news release. Read more here...
• Bonefish Grill and Carrabba's: The restaurant chain has closed at least five New Jersey locations. The decision to close Bonefish Grill and Carrabba's was made at the corporate level, a spokeswoman for the corporate chain told Patch. "Closing a restaurant is a difficult decision. It was based purely on business circumstances and has no reflection on employees or their service," said Elizabeth Watts, a spokeswoman for Bloomin' Brands. Read more here....
• Toys R Us: About 250 people at the Toys R Us headquarters on Geoffrey Way have been laid off. The layoffs were announced a day before the North American International Toy Fair at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, The Wall Street Journal reported. Amy Von Walter, a spokeswoman for Toys R Us, told Forbes that, "The recent changes are not just about cost-containment — our growth plans require us to have the right structure, talent and determination to transform our business and achieve the financial objectives we've set for the company." Read more here...
• North Jersey Media Group, which publishes The Record and the Herald News, announced last month that 141 employees will receive layoff notices. The company reported the layoffs on its website, NorthJersey.com. North Jersey Media Group announced last year that 426 employees will receive notices required by New Jersey state law when "mass layoffs are imminent."

Patch file photo