Yankee Candle parent company announces layoffs, 20 store closures

The parent company of Rubbermaid, Sharpie and Yankee Candle announced on Monday, Dec. 1 that it will lay off 900 people from its global workforce, making it the latest company to announce job cuts.

Newell Brands said in a news release that the roughly 10% cut in its professional and clerical employees will have “limited impact on manufacturing or supply chain operations.” Layoffs in the U.S. are set to occur in December, with international cuts coming next year.

The company will also close approximately 20 Yankee Candle stores in the U.S and Canada as part of what it called “a global productivity plan.” The closures are slated to take effect in January, according to the release.

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The company did not state which Yankee Candle stores it would close in the release. Newell Brands did not provide a list of closing stores when reached for comment by USA TODAY, but said in a statement that the closures represent “roughly one percent of the brand’s sales and reflects our continued efforts to align with how consumers shop today.”

“This productivity plan is about taking the next, disciplined step to enhance efficiency, sharpen our strategic focus, and deliver stronger, more consistent performance,” Chris Peterson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Newell Brands, said in the release.

The restructuring is expected to incur approximately $75 million to $90 million in costs – primarily for severance and related costs – according to the company. It expects the plan to save roughly $110 million to $130 million annually.

The Newell Brands announcement continues a trend of companies announcing layoffs, including Amazon, General Motors, Target and Verizon among others.

Employers slashed more than 150,000 jobs in October, the largest wave of layoffs in more than 20 years, a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas said Nov. 6.

2025 has been the worst year for announced layoffs since 2009, according to the outplacement firm, and Challenger added that “those laid off now are finding it harder to quickly secure new roles.”

The jobs report released Nov. 20 showed U.S. employers added 119,000 jobs in September, but the unemployment rate rose to the highest point in nearly four years, up from 4.3% in August to 4.4%

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Firms have pointed to various reasons for the layoffs, from artificial intelligence to tariffs and corporate restructuring.