Update 6/27/2025: See the full statement from Orvis President Simon Perkins below.
Vermont-based fishing gear retailer Orvis is again reducing its workforce, this time by 4%, in part because of tariffs, said company President Simon Perkins.
“Tariffs disrupted our business model in ways we haven’t faced before and have exposed a clear path to solidifying our long-term future,” Perkins said in a statement to VTDigger. “Moving forward, Orvis will be returning to our roots and shifting our entire focus to the core strengths of our business—the fly fishing and wingshooting pursuits that have guided our company for nearly 170 years and inspire our customers in unique and powerful ways.”
Approximately 50 employees will be impacted by the end of the year. Orvis Spokesperson Brian Holcomb told VTDigger that the details of the reorganization are still in the works.
More than 110 jobs were cut at Orvis last year. The retailer also shuttered some locations, ceased its 170-year-old catalogue sales, and moved its headquarters from Sunderland to a smaller building in Manchester.
Orvis provided a full statement from Perkins, which reads:
The first half of 2025 has presented unprecedented challenges that few retailers could have predicted even six months ago. While the retail environment has been turbulent this year, we have seen real areas of strength and differentiation in the areas of our business that make Orvis unique and special: fly fishing and wingshooting, and the products and experiences essential and adjacent to these activities that lie at the core of our brand.
Tariffs have disrupted our business model in ways we haven’t faced before and have exposed a clear path to solidifying our long-term future. Moving forward, Orvis will be returning to our roots and shifting our entire focus to the core strengths of our business—the fly fishing and wingshooting pursuits that have guided our company for nearly 170 years and inspire our customers in unique and powerful ways.
Aimed at delivering on this forward-facing focus and mission, we are conducting a reorganization of the company. With a tighter brand focus, we will reduce our overall workforce by 4% by the end of 2025. These decisions deeply impact the lives of our associates and our communities, and we do not take them lightly. We are leaning on our values and handling this process with both care and regard for our team.
While this period has introduced challenges unlike any we have seen in our history, it has also strongly reinforced the true reason why Orvis plays such an important and meaningful role in the lives of our customers. We are unwavering in our commitment to being the leader in providing the very best gear, apparel and experiences that enable the adventure and wonder of a life lived on the water and in the field. I look forward to detailing our vision for the future soon.
