Powell's Books, Portland, Ore., has conducted another round of layoffs, letting 13 people go in October, according to the Oregonian and KOIN. After three rounds of summer layoffs, a total of 31 staff members have been let go. Jeremy Solly, Powell's chief marketing officer, confirmed the layoffs to KOIN, saying that "these changes were not limited to our stores, the majority affected management and business services positions across departments."
Solly explained the cutbacks this way: "As with many businesses right now, we're seeing expenses rise faster than sales. This has been an ongoing challenge since the pandemic, and while we've taken many steps to grow revenue and control costs, this most recent action was an unfortunate but necessary step to help ensure the long-term stability of Powell's Books."