CarMax reshuffles 130 positions

About 130 CarMax Inc. employees will be changing roles as the retailer reshuffles positions at its headquarters and at some of its 100 stores.

The Goochland County-based automobile retailer said yesterday that the "difficult economy has changed our business needs and the jobs that support them."

In all, 1 percent of the company's 13,000 jobs are affected, the company said. CarMax made the moves because shifts in its operations have made some jobs no longer necessary.

"There are enough open positions that every affected associate may choose to move into a new role," CarMax spokeswoman Trina Lee said in a statement.

The open positions are all full-time jobs with benefits, she said. Those who decide not to take new positions will be entitled to severance pay.

The open positions are at headquarters office and at the stores. Like much of the automobile industry, CarMax has been hit by dropping sales because of the weak economy.

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, fell 27 percent during the fiscal fourth quarter, which ended Feb. 28. Total used-car unit sales decreased 21 percent.

For the fiscal year, same-store sales fell 17 percent for the year, while total used-car unit sales dropped 8 percent.

The chain made some cost-cutting moves in October, including laying off 610 people as well as cutting back on store openings and on the number of units it keeps on its lots.

Contact Louis Llovio at (804) 649-6348 or .