Amazon subsidiary Zappos lays off around 20% of staff

Amazon.com subsidiary Zappos laid off more than 300 employees — about 20 per cent of its workforce — in January, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar and a company memo.

The cuts, described as being part of broader layoffs at the company, included customer-service representatives at the online shoe and clothing retailer, which Amazon bought in 2009, the WSJ said.

Longtime executive Tyler Williams also left during the layoffs, it added, part of an ongoing shakeup two years after the death of former CEO Tony Hsieh in 2020 at age 46.

Zappos spokesperson Laura Davis told the newspaper the cuts were part of regular business planning, and were “ultimately made to ensure Zappos is set up to continue to provide an exceptional customer experience, long-term.”

Amazon in mid-January started its biggest-ever round of job cuts, expected to affect 18,000 workers around the globe.

Read: Amazon to slash more than 18,000 jobs