Bebe to shutter stores and have mass layoffs next month

Bebe recently has announced a mass amount of layoffs, following plans to shutter 21 stores this year. The Brisbane-based retailer has announced approximately 717 layoffs to be effective starting May 27.

The layoffs were confirmed in a notice to the California Employment Development Department made by Bebe Stores Inc. In total, there will be approximately 136 layoffs at Bebe’s headquarters. A combined number of 40 employees will be laid off in the Sacramento area, near where Bebe was first established. Currently, locations that will be affected by the layoffs include San Diego, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Camarillo, Newport Beach, Cabazon, Torrance, and Brea.

Last month, the company announced working with a financial advisor to explore “strategic alternatives” for the company’s future. Currently, Bebe has approximately 2,158 employees according to the brand’s LinkedIn page. Additionally, the company has 170 operating brick-and-mortar stores. While that number will drop by 21, it is still not certain how many more flagships may suffer in the future.