• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers as 70% of Americans say not in my backyard

1

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers as 70% of Americans say not in my backyard
RetailAmerican Apparel

Bankrupt Retailer American Apparel Begins Laying Off Thousands of Workers

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 16, 2017, 10:27 PM ET
First Day Of Post-Christmas Retail Sales As Consumer Confidence Falls To Its Lowest Level Since July
Shoppers pass a closed down American Apparel LLC fashion retail store on Oxford Street during the Boxing Day sales in London, U.K., on Monday, Dec. 26, 2016. Consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since July, the month after the Brexit vote, according to an index compiled by YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research published Friday. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesChris Ratcliffe—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

American Apparel LLC (APP) said it had started to lay off staff on Monday, after Canadian apparel maker Gildan Activewear Inc withdrew its initial plan to acquire some of the bankrupt U.S. fashion retailer’s manufacturing operations.

Gildan won the rights to American Apparel‘s brand with an $88 million bid in a bankruptcy auction last week. It had previously indicated it would assume some of its manufacturing operations, which had made the brand synonymous with “Made in the U.S.A.”

American Apparel spokeswoman Arielle Patrick said the company was laying off about 2,400 workers in Southern California. The company had 2,166 employees at its headquarters in Los Angeles, and 959 employees at the nearby South Gate manufacturing facility.

Francisco Morales, 56, who made clothes for seven years at the Los Angeles plant, was one of the American Apparel workers to be handed his employment termination notice and his last paycheck on Monday.

“It’s really bad what happened here, really bad,” Morales said in Spanish, according to a co-worker who translated into English. He said he had three children and was worried about finding another job with the same benefits, because of his age.

“The company issued a WARN Act notice several months ago, letting employees know that depending on the buyer of the business, a sale could result in eventual shrinkage of some business areas,” American Apparel said in an emailed statement.

Last week, American Apparel reached a preliminary deal to sell its Garden Grove manufacturing site to textile manufacturer Broncs Inc, re-launching it as a knitting and dyeing facility.

“The company is pleased that it was able to secure a second agreement with Broncs, which plans to save over 300 jobs when they take over the Garden Grove facility,” the statement added.

Gildan had already indicated it would not take on any of American Apparel‘s 110 stores. Without another buyer for these stores, American Apparel has started to shut them down.

American Apparel filed for a second time for bankruptcy protection, known as a Chapter 11 filing, in November with about $177 million in debt after the failure of a turnaround plan. It had filed for its first Chapter 11 in October 2015 and emerged from bankruptcy early last year.

For more on American Apparel, watch Fortune’s video:

Close to 90% of Gildan’s 42,000 employees are in Caribbean and Central American countries where costs are lower, and the company does not manufacture clothes other than socks in the United States.

Gildan had previously said it would take into account that American Apparel‘s U.S. manufacturing heritage is a component of the brand but had noted that its manufacturing plan would also consider factors like transportation and energy costs.

Gildan is in the process of developing its “go-forward plans for the brand, including decisions regarding manufacturing, distribution and go-to-market strategies,” company spokesman Garry Bell said in an email.

He said the company would provide more details on its plan in a Feb. 23 conference call.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

FDA walks back positive lab test while lettuce recall continues
HealthFood and drink
FDA walks back positive lab test while lettuce recall continues
By Bloomberg, Kristina Peterson, Jessica Nix and Daniela SirtoriJuly 20, 2026
7 hours ago
An aerial view of a person eating Taco Bell
RetailRecalls
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
11 hours ago
Nestlé KitKat Original chocolate bars
RetailMarketing
How Nestlé turned a chocolate heist into a masterclass in brand building 
By Sam BirchallJuly 20, 2026
12 hours ago
jon
PoliticsElections
The Democrats suddenly have a 39-year-old Senate warrior tearing into Trump and ‘Prince Don and Prince Eric’: Jon Ossoff
By Bill Barrow and The Associated PressJuly 19, 2026
1 day ago
Looking back at the World Cup: Fans drank Boston dry, got permanent tattoos, sold out famous BBQ joints, and drove up small business revenue
RetailSports
Looking back at the World Cup: Fans drank Boston dry, got permanent tattoos, sold out famous BBQ joints, and drove up small business revenue
By Catherina GioinoJuly 19, 2026
1 day ago
ranch
CommentaryWorld Cup
Ranch dressing is quietly doing America’s diplomacy for it
By David BohigianJuly 19, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
2 days ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
8 hours ago
Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers as 70% of Americans say not in my backyard
AI
Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers as 70% of Americans say not in my backyard
By Aaron Walayat and The ConversationJuly 19, 2026
2 days ago
Red Lobster’s 37-year-old CEO waited tables before joining the C-suite—he says it was a crash course in managing ‘difficult people and situations’
Success
Red Lobster’s 37-year-old CEO waited tables before joining the C-suite—he says it was a crash course in managing ‘difficult people and situations’
By Preston ForeJuly 19, 2026
2 days ago
Warren Buffett says his $147 billion investing career was an accident: ‘I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world’
Future of Work
Warren Buffett says his $147 billion investing career was an accident: ‘I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world’
By Sarah GlodekJuly 20, 2026
14 hours ago
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
Retail
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
11 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.