March 2 (SeeNews) - Slovenian skiing footwear producer and retailer Alpina plans to cut the workforce at its Ziri factory by about 10% due to coronavirus crisis, local media reported.
The company intends to launch a downsizing plan for 18 employees and an early retirement scheme for another 20, news agency STA quoted Alpina director of marketing and retail sales Maja Remic as saying on Monday.
The four-month shutdown of stores in Slovenia, and two-month closures in Croatia and Bosnia have led to a decline in the sales of the fashion line of Alpina shoes, while the closure of ski resorts depressed demand for ski boots, Remic explained.
Aside from layoffs, Alpina plans to shut down unprofitable stores and improve its online presence, she added.
Alpina is majority-owned by Slovenia's "bad bank", the Bank Assets Management Company (DUTB), and has been undergoing financial restructuring since 2016.