The shift into the off-price sector coupled with creating an omnichannel environment — which includes reconfiguring supply chains — is, by design, a way to better control inventories, reduce costs and maximize profits. Sources said layoffs and reducing total square footage with store closures will also likely occur. Macy's Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. Inc. have already shuttered a number of units, and companies such as Ralph Lauren and J. Crew Group recently revealed workforce reductions. The latest is Gap, which just reported closing 175 of its 977 stores.