Kowloon, Hong Kong-based DFS (formerly Duty Free Shops), a retailer luxury and duty-free travel-related goods, and a division of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) Group has announced a major reduction in force in Hawaii. The layoffs will impact 165 employees and will be spread across three Hawaiian locations:T Galleria by DFS (company’s flagship store in Waikiki); the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport; and the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole.
According to a company spokesperson, “the steep decline in visitor spending and diminishing travel demand from key international markets, coupled with the cost of doing business in Hawaii, led to the layoffs. Another major factor was the significant spread of the retail sector statewide, which has increased the competitive environment for retailers. For many months, we have been signaling an alarming confluence of factors that have had an increasing impact on our business. A marked drop in visitor expenditures and an overall softening in consumer sentiment, combined with the high costs that we are paying to remain in Hawaii, meant we could not delay the inevitable any longer. This was a difficult decision, forced by a difficult environment.”
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?