The IT layoffs are not related or have anything to do with the 8% growth that Fossil had posted for the 2014 year. IT layoffs are directly connected to Ed Robben and Robert Shaffer, both of these gentlemen came from JC Penny's and outsourced the IT department there, in fact using the same company, InfoSys. They have sat back and watched how things work at Fossil, just as they did at Penny's and then when the time was right, they outsourced! Only to blame it on something else, like low yearly numbers.
Don't blame InfoSys, as they are other group of tools used by Ed and his minions. It was just a convenient circumstance that the 2014 growth was down anywhere from 6% to 9% from years past growth. The group used this news to play all of this off on the lowered growth rate, saying we have to be leaner, better etc. Don't forget Omnichannel presence and our version of a smart technology device called - connected accessory. Only because we can't compete with Apple and let them slip in through the backdoor and beat us to the punch. Even if Apple has a soft or slower delivery on their smart tech, they still beat us by more that 6 to 9 months!