Egghead Seeks More Retail Sites Softness In Sales Produces Small Company-Wide Layoff

Sales in Egghead Software’s new retail outlet in Spokane have been strong since its opening last month, and the company continues to explore sites - including downtown - for additional retail sites here.

“We have been very pleased with the public’s response (at Egghead’s new North Division location) and with the sales we have seen,” Kurt Conklin, Egghead’s vice president of human resources said Tuesday.

“We are actively considering other sites,” he added. “There are several opportunities available, including all the things that are going on downtown. We would consider a downtown location.”

At the corporate level, Egghead laid off about 20 employees last week. The layoffs affected about 10 of Egghead’s 500 Spokane employees, Conklin said.

“Sales on both our original equipment manufacturer and retail sides are down slightly from last year,” Conklin said. “We’ve seen a general softening throughout retail, and we are impacted like anybody else.”

The layoffs were not focused in any one area, Conklin said.

Conklin said Egghead remains confident in its retail strength. But its institutional sales to corporations, schools and government continue to lag.

“On the institutional side, sales are changing to more of a license type of sale rather than packaged software sales,” Conklin said. “We have to adjust our approach to meet those changes.”

Egghead is a major national retailer of computer software and hardware. The company is in the final stages of shifting its corporate headquarters from the Puget Sound area to Spokane.

, DataTimes