Juul Labs has said it is planning another significant round of layoffs and considering halting sales across Europe and Asia. That could mean pulling out of as many as 11 countries and shrinking the company’s footprint to its core markets of the U.S., Canada and the U.K., according to a story in the Wall Street Journal.
Juul cut about one-third of its 3,000 workers earlier this year and already has halted sales of its vaporizers in several countries. The once fast-growing company has been scaling back its operations to combat a sharp drop in sales. It currently has about 2,200 employees, the story states.
Widely blamed by parents and government officials for a surge in teen vaping in the U.S., Juul has faced regulatory crackdowns and investigations into its marketing practices over past two years. Now its sales are falling as Reynolds American Inc.’s Vuse e-cigarette brand gains market share and some vapers switch back to traditional cigarettes.
Juul Chief Executive K.C. Crosthwaite told employees in an email Wednesday that the business units under review don’t generate enough revenue to support further spending there. He said the cuts would allow the company to invest in developing new products, in technology to curb youth use and in scientific research that could help the company demonstrate to regulators that its products are less harmful than cigarettes.
Juul has submitted a new version of its vaporizer designed to unlock only for users at least 21 years old to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration according to people familiar with the matter, the story states.
Source link
