According to Fierce Wireless (link below), Verizon is making changes in its corporate-owned store strategy. Several corporate owned stores are closing permanently and related employees are being let go. The changes are occurring nationwide.
Through the course of re-examining the retail side of its business, Verizon gave some employees the option of applying for other roles within the business or accepting a severance package and “transitional services” if they choose to leave the company.
While a post on Reddit cited 50% of the General Managers, Verizon says the number of people affected is “nowhere near” that.
“Our retail is very much an important part of who we are and what we do, and that’s why we continue to invest in it, but there are some times when you need to adjust. For example, some areas don’t need as many people or employees in certain types of roles.”
Verizon had about 1,500 corporate stores as of October, according to Wave7 Research, which estimates about 20% of Verizon-branded retail stores are corporate owned, with the remainder run by independent dealers.
“Verizon is committed to continue to have stores in the areas where our customers need them.” The idea is the experience should be consistent whether a customer shops in a store in New York or Los Angeles.
Behaviors in retail have been changing. Last year Verizon started talking up its “touchless retail” strategy, designed to go beyond merely social distancing, making it simpler to do business through mobile check-in via its app, product scanning tools and self-scan verification of IDs. Recently, Verizon made a point of telling people that almost everything they can do in a Verizon store can be done via the My Verizon and My Fios phone apps, or online via its website.
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