Wilson, the director of communications for Walmart, said that the layoffs in Omaha on Thursday were due to changes specific to the Hayneedle brand and that the decisions were made at the Hayneedle level.

“This was not a Walmart decision; it was a decision made by Hayneedle,” she said.

Wilson said both companies do share the same approach of evaluating strategy, structure and operating costs to find ways to grow. Hayneedle, she said, decided to invest in some new areas, create new roles and restructure in ways that help the company “move faster.”

Hayneedle’s parent company has been known for paying close attention to costs. Walmart uses a zero-based budgeting strategy, asking managers to justify costs regardless of previous spending levels.

Workers said they began being notified of the layoffs with 9 a.m. phone calls and group meetings. Some workers were terminated immediately, while others will still have jobs until May 17.

Hayneedle is offering assistance to the workers who lost their jobs, Wilson said.