Icon weight loss company Jenny Craig tells staffers expect mass layoffs, amid transition to online

Weight loss company Jenny Craig is anticipate mass layoffs as it begins "winding down physical operations" and is on looking for a buy, according to internal communications this week shared with staffers.

The company wants to move to an e-commerce-driven business model to better reach today's consumers and their spending patterns.

"Like many other companies, we’re currently transitioning from a brick-and-mortar retail business to a customer-friendly, e-commerce driven model," said a Jenny Craig spokesperson.

Jenny Craig is trademarked for its prepared meals and dieting plans and offers in-person consultations with coaches at its weight-loss centers. It was acquired by H.I.G Capital, a $55 billion private equity firm in April 2019 for an undisclosed amount.  

The eponymous company was started in Australia in 1983 by Louisiana-born Jenny Craig who made her foray into the U.S. market two years later. 

The company has been going through a "sales process for the last couple of months," according to a Jenny Craig Company Transition FAQs dated Tuesday and given to NBC News. 

The weight loss company said it does not know the exact employees or groups that will be impacted by the layoffs. All employees will likely be impacted. 

Last month, Bloomberg Law reported that the company was searching for a buyer, but there have been no updates.