Approximately 50 employees in the catalog and online gift department at The Hershey Co. will be laid off, a result of the chocolate company’s decision to outsource those positions. Hershey signed a multiyear agreement on March 5 to have King of Prussia, PA-based GSI Commerce handle the Hershey’s Gift and Mauna Loa catalogs and Websites. . The transition will be completed by Sept. 1, according to Hershey spokesperson Kirk Saville.
“This is about continued growth of Hershey Gifts,” Saville says. “We’re partnering with GSI, offering our consumers a superior online experience. The agreement with GSI provides Hershey with the technology and capabilities to accelerate growth in the Hershey’s Gifts business.” Hershey officials will try to place some of the laid off workers in other departments or with GSI.
GSI’s services for Hershey will include e-commerce and order processing technologies, product personalization and fulfillment, and customer care. The agreement marks GSI’s entry into the online retail category of specialty foods. The Hershey Co. has annual revenue of nearly $5 billion and employs more than 13,000 people worldwide.