The Rue21 Collapse - One Year Later
What's your work story?
I created The Voice of the Frontline to give the people a platform. The people in stores. The people who get up early and work late. The people who know their companies and customers inside and out, but who never get a seat at the table.
For them. For us.
I want to tell their stories. I don’t need any more advice from executives.
What’s it really like to work for a company you love and then watch it crumble under new leadership? What really happens in meetings when shit is obviously going sideways, but you have zero power?
That’s what I write about. That’s what I want to know more about.
One year ago, rue21 went bankrupt. I was flooded with messages from people who worked in all departments across the company. Together, they painted a comprehensive story of the company’s demise.
I worked on nothing else for the week. I worked at all hours, piecing together this fascinating tale.
I’m sharing it with you today, so you can see how important it is to understand how a business collapses from all sides. So you can see how terrible executives continue to fail up. I also want you to know that you can reach out to me at any time if you have a story to tell. You will always remain anonymous.
You can email me directly and securely at: kit@kitcampoy.com
The more emails I get, the more I can piece together. If you really want to get your story out—tell your co-workers to message me. For the rue21 piece, I had dozens of testimonials.
Speak up, speak out through The Voice of the Frontline.
Thanks for being here and for supporting the work I do.
I see you.
Let’s work together to make work better for all of us.
More about Rue21:
Rue Part 2: How Rue21's Bankruptcy Impacts Unseen Workers in a Struggling Town
There are several invisible forces that make our lives livable and convenient. Behind the scenes, a vast, unseen workforce show up daily, working late nights and arriving before sunrise to keep our economy churning.
Workers Unite as Culture Shifts. How Rue21's Bankruptcy Became a Rallying Cry.
Running a retail floor is gritty, dynamic, and it can be downright dirty. Need to get a box for those designer sunglasses? Well, get on the floor because they're stored in a drawer under the case. There is no leaning over to find them. The style numbers on the box are so tiny they're almost impossible to read up close, …
Kit Campoy is an accomplished retail expert and author. She leverages her two decades of leadership experience to inform and inspire. Kit is now booking panel speaking sessions & podcasts. Book a call on her website today!
Why is it that the workers always know more than the managers? Always.
And certainly, more than corporate realizes.
Love that this is a gathering place for the workers.