PROTECT THE FAMILY. That was
Aaron Walters’ fi rst instinct when he
realized the impact the COVID-19
pandemic would have on Altar’d State,
the women’s retail chain he co-founded
and where he serves as chairman and
CEO. And by “family,” Walters meant his
associates.
He knew it would be complicated.
Altar’d State has associates at 121 loca-
tions, along with teams at sister brands
A’Beautiful Soul and Vow’d. But the chal-
lenge wasn’t a deterrent. “There’s never
a wrong time to do the right thing,” says
Brian Mason, co-founder and president
of Altar’d State. He and Walters quickly
zeroed in on their new mission.“We laid out a very simple, people-
fi rst strategy,” Walters says. He and
Mason wanted to protect their associ-
ates both physically and fi nancially. The
fi rst step was to protect the health of
associates and guests by shutting down
stores, even before state-mandated
lockdowns began, although this meant
sales would decline dramatically.
Despite the drastic reduction in sales,
Walters made the decision that Altar’d
State would not resort to layoffs or
furloughs. “Our number one key perfor-
mance indicator was saving the jobs of
our 2,000 associates,” he says.
But taking care of the family also
meant caring for associates’ mental
and emotional health. To help associ-
ates remain informed and feel included,
Walters led companywide video calls
every week to keep communication
and connection thriving. In addition, the
company has also arranged for associ-
ates to have access to mental health
professionals. To help associates stay
resilient, Walters distributed inspira-
tional books across the organization,
with smaller groups meeting regularly
via video to discuss and dive deeper
into each message.
This culture of caring has been
integral to Altar’d State’s DNA since its
inception in 2009. “We’re a give-back
company,” Walters says. “Retail is our
platform.”
Indeed, since its founding, Altar’d
State has donated more than $14.7
million to those in need. Each loca-
tion gives 10% of every Monday’s net
proceeds to local charitable orga-
nizations that help feed the hungry,
assist servicemen and -women, boost
self-esteem, care for those undergo-
ing medical treatments, and house the
homeless. The Altar’d State company
motto is: “Stand Out. For Good.” And
that tight-knit family is showing us how
it’s done—during the pandemic and
beyond. ■PROFILE 20 20 | BEST WORKPLACES IN RETAILCONTENT FROM ALTAR’D STATEASSOCIATES FROM ACROSS THE
COUNTRY GATHERED VIRTUALLY DURING
QUARANTINE TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE
TO THEIR ALTAR’D STATE FAMILY.P utting People First
Retailer Altar’d State treats every associate like family—
and steps up when needed most.