Lands’ End Business Outfitters is reducing its customer contact center staff by 29 percent in Dodgeville due to an increase in online shoppers.

Their workforce will be reduced by approximately 86 full-time and 63 flexible, part-time positions by the end of January, according to the Land’s End press release.

The company is known throughout southeast Wisconsin as one of the top employers.  The business has gained a strong reputation and supports Dodgeville and the surrounding communities.

“They are usually looked to as the employer of choice,” said Diana Trendt, director of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Career Center.

Now, over 70 people have been laid off by the company, and it looks like there may be more in the future. The lay offs are caused by an increasing number of Lands’ End customers shopping online.

“We were operating in a traditional call center model that worked for us very well when our business was driven by calls from our customers,” said Michele Casper, Senior Director of Public Relations at Lands’ End. “[Now] the majority of our customers (nearly 80 percent) are shopping with us online instead of calling our 1-800 number.”

This has caused the company to eliminate obsolete positions at the call center and rethink other ones.

“It is very sad,” said Dodgeville Mayor Todd Novak.  “Everyone (in Dodgeville) knows somebody that has lost their job.”

Previously, Lands’ End has specifically recruited students from the university.

“They treat us well,” said junior Sam Briggs, a business sales and marketing major and seasonal Lands’ End worker.

Because they are not usually full-time positions, students usually have had little trouble being hired for an internship or seasonal job with the company.

“Seasonal positions have always been there as a back-up,” said Michael Johnson, senior industrial engineering major.  “Full-time positions are their top priority.”

There is hope for the future of Lands’ End. Mayor Novak said about 90 new positions will likely be available in the coming months.  The positions will first be offered to those who lost their previous station. Others will receive a severance package.

Call centers in Reedsburg and Stevens Point remain full-staffed for the time being.

Lands’ End has expressed its deepest sorrow for having to cut down on their workforce but maintain it is the best course of action for the company and the customers.

“We hire employees based on business needs and how we can best provide world class customer service to our customers,” Casper said.