Remember Theranos, the blood-testing company that managed to be one of the most scandal-plagued startups of recent years? The company is back in the headlines, with the sad news that it’s managed to find 41% of staff it hadn’t yet laid off, and has targeted them for downsizing immediately. [More]
downsizing
Former Blood-Testing Company Theranos Somehow Still Has 155 Employees To Fire
By 1.9.17 — Updated: 1.11.17
Macy’s Announces 68 Store Closings Across The Country; Here’s The List
By 1.4.17
The holiday season is over, and it’s time for retailers to figure out exactly how terrible the holiday season was. Macy’s, which is still trying to figure out a business model for department stores in general, announced its quarterly results along with a long list of stores across the country that are closing. [More]
American Apparel Laying Off Hundreds Of Workers, May Outsource Some Manufacturing
By 4.13.16
As part of its continuing efforts to streamline costs and transform into a newer, leaner company after emerging from bankruptcy, a new report says American Apparel has slashed hundreds of jobs in its Southern California home recently, and may make some clothing outside of Los Angeles as part of an overall redesign of the production process. [More]
Downsizing Your Home Might Not Make Retirement Any Easier
By 12.10.12
If you’re at or nearing retirement age and living in a house with rooms you don’t use, it would seem to make sense that you could save by downsizing to a smaller abode. But unless you have significant equity on your home and are willing to make big changes, that might not be the case. [More]
How To Decrease Your Attachment To Your Stuff
By 3.27.12
The very things that made you giddy when you bought them can fill you with anxiety when they become clutter or high-maintenance burdens. There’s an exhilaration to decluttering your home, and in turn, your life. [More]
Report: Netflix's Killing Of Qwikster Forces Layoffs
By 11.7.11
After Netflix decided against spinning off the DVD rental side of its service as Qwikster, the company reportedly decided it didn’t need as many call service reps to handle such duties as fielding inquiries from confused customers. [More]
Orville Redenbacher Uses New Fancy Bowl To Disguise Shrink Ray Effects
By 8.9.11
Looks like old Orville Redenbacher has been working on his sleight of hand technique. He wants you to focus on how his kettle corn popcorn is in a new easier to use “pop up bowl,” and ignore how it’s been downsized to 2.9 oz per bag from 3.3 oz. Worse, writers tipster Derek, the popcorn doesn’t pop as well. [More]
Walmart Hopes Small Stores Will Shore Up Slumping Sales
By 6.16.11
Continuing its trend of opening more smallish Walmart Express stores and hoping to buck a two-year-long sales slump, Walmart confirmed plans to go crazy building its Mini-Mes. The company, which already has opened 185 of the stores, hopes to add as many as 100 more by January. [More]
Nurse Laid Off In The Middle Of Surgery
By 4.14.09
When Dean Health System in Madison, Wisconsin announced last week that it “planned to ‘immediately’ lay off 90 employees,” it wasn’t kidding around. One of them was a nurse who was pulled out of surgery to be told the news.
Shrink Ray Turned On Latest Issue Of GOOD Magazine
By 3.5.09
The latest issue of GOOD magazine, which arrived in our mailbox yesterday, seems to be equal parts tongue-in-cheek and an actual attempt to save money on printing. To be honest, it’s the first time we ever made it entirely through a magazine in one sitting, so in that sense we kind of like the new format, even if it’s just for one issue. Of note: if your resume sucks, you can enter it in their resume-makeover contest.
Macy's Fires 7,000 People
By 2.2.09
Macy’s is slaying 7,000 positions from its payrolls. No news about any store closing so far. Things are not looking good for retail stores with large stores in the physical universe these days. Economy = asteroid, creating large dust cloud over planet so the sources of food for the dinosaurs dries up, which is very sad for the massive reptiles, but then it creates space on the food chain for small furry mammals to thrive. Cockroaches, too, though. [Marketwatch] (Photo: u2acro)
Sprint Asking Employees To Please Pink Slip Themselves
By 11.20.08
Sprint has asked some of its employees to consider voluntarily resigning by December 3rd in exchange for a compensation package. Says a spokesperson, “No one is being forced to do anything. There are no forced reductions. There are no layoffs in store. It’s a matter of employees having the option to exercise discretion. No targets have been announced.” IntoMobile says retail store employees and managers are not being included in the offer. Update: We’ve received a little more info from an anonymous tipster about the downsizing, and what it might mean for customers of Sprint.
By 6.11.08
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These people have decided to simplify their lives by limiting themselves to only owning 100 things. Better say bye-bye to that antique button collection. [TIME]
Now It's Serious: Shrink Ray Hits Beer
By 6.10.08
Although we’ve been covering the unpleasant phenomenon of the grocery shrink ray for a while, we’ve been slightly relieved that the shrinking products were things like soap, gum, and orange juice—not crucial staples of our existence. Not anymore, according to the Wall Street Journal: Bars and restaurants are shrinking their beers. The horror!
Grocery Shrink Ray Unleashes Its Fury On Safeway Bakery
By 6.9.08
In an attempt to cut expenses on donuts and signage, this Safeway in Oakland, CA. reduced their “dozen” from 14 to 12, reader Leonard discovered. We would have preferred a new sign or no sign at all. The “14” crossed out with a Sharpie simply mocks us.
17 Signs You May Be Out Of A Job Soon
By 4.29.08
If you’re still on the fence about whether to spend your stimulus check, pay off debt with it, or stock up on ramen noodles, this checklist may help you decide. Some of the tips are pretty unnecessary—”your job duties are marginalized” and “your company plans to move to a smaller building” shouldn’t be hard to decipher. It never hurts to remind yourself about some of the signs of an impending downsize, however.
Helmann’s Spreads It Thin
By 9.11.06
Provoked by our post on the same, Derrick was enraged that Hellman’s has reduced the size of their mayo jars from 32 to 30 oz, while keeping the same price. He wrote them a letter and here’s how the sandwich Nazis responded:
Where’s The Mayo?
By 9.5.06
“Some things always come in quarts: milk, motor oil, and mayonnaise, for example. You don’t have to look at the net weight statement, because a quart is 32 ounces, and that is what you always get,” writes the MousePrint blog.
