Fewer than 200 Sears, Roebuck & Co. employees in 14 stores in Utah, Idaho, Missoula, Mont., and Spokane, Wash., will be affected by the company announcement that nearly 7,000 jobs will be eliminated because of a new computerized cash register system allowing the firm to further streamline operations.
Dennis Morse, district general manager for the retailer in Salt Lake City, said the 200 people who will be affected work in the stores, but he is optimistic that nobody will lose their jobs. He said some people will be transferred to other jobs and some reductions will be handled through attrition.Sears officials in Chicago announced they are spending $60 million for 28,000 terminals and 6,000 automated customer-service kiosks. The new terminals, to be installed in the 868 retail stores, will be linked to a nationwide data base and will put more customer information and computer power on the sales floor.
Morse said the announcement is a continuation of an effort announced a year ago to improve customer relations and give the customers improved access to their credit accounts.
The target date for the change is March 28.
A company spokesman said the new technology, coupled with routine tasks, will eliminate about 1,000 full-time non-sales positions and about 5,900 part-time clerical positions by March 28. The spokesman said the changes should reduce operation expenses by about $50 million annually, beginning this year.
Sears, which employees 313,000 part- and full-time people, has eliminated 44,000 jobs in the past 18 months as part of its effort to become more efficient and profitable.