Zumiez moves distribution to Calif.; HQ to stay in Everett

Published 11:26 am Friday, February 26, 2010

Zumiez, a national marketer of jackets and other outdoor wear, is closing its Everett warehouse distribution facility, laying off 170 local employees.

A new warehouse is being prepared in Corona, Calif., closer to the firm’s majority of clothing distributors, officials said in mid-February. Some 180 to 200 people will be hired in Corona.

About 180 employees will remain based in Everett at the company’s headquarters in a southwest Everett business park.

Zumiez Chief Financial Officer Trevor Lang said the company has no plans to move its home base from Everett, saying Zumiez has “deep roots” in the Pacific Northwest.

The move is expected to save the company $1 million a year and improve its distribution processes.

Employees at the Everett distribution center have been told they will lose their jobs in 60 days when Zumiez closes its large Merrill Creek Parkway warehouse.

Final employment date for all of the warehouse center employees will be Apr. 23.

Zumiez sells action-sports apparel. Its sales were better in January than analysts’ expectations. It reported a 1.8 percent year-over-year increase in sales for January, after experiencing large earnings drops last year.

The company has been facing shrinking sales as consumers’ appetite for buying has been dampened by the recession and high unemployment rates across the country.

Lang said it was a difficult decision to lay off so many local employees.