Stocking up for the holidays
Retailers looking to fill temporary openings for upcoming seasonal sales
Marcus Aldridge is looking to hire around eight fashionconscious individuals at The Buckle store in Southlake Mall this holiday season, starting in October.
“We will hire at least two full-timers and three to six part-timers. We’re looking to hire fashionable people,” said Aldridge, a store manager.
The Buckle is just one of many companies announcing plans to employ temporary
workers as they prepare for what they hope will be a big shopping season in light of the economic upturn, getting the holiday hiring season off to a strong, and early, start.
“Retailers have been aggressively hiring seasonal workers since July to combat the tight job market. This holiday season will be a good time for workers who have had trouble finding employment or those who are discouraged or marginally attached to the labor force, as retail, transport, and warehousing jobs will be plentiful,” said Andrew Challenger, vice president of the global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
Several companies are having hiring events during October, many with the potential for interviews and possible job offers on the spot. In hopes of attracting qualified candidates in a tight job market, some are sweetening the deal with incentives and competitive pay.
Aldridge said The Buckle in Southlake Mall is in the process of hiring seasonal help and may hold a hiring event.
“We like to get the training done through October. November gets pretty busy in the store,” he said.
Target announced it plans to hire 120,000 seasonal team members at its more than 1,800 stores in addition to 7,500 more individuals at its distribution and fulfillment centers. The big-box retailer said in a press release that it will hold a nationwide hiring event at its stores from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 12-14.
In additional to earning $12 an hour, seasonal workers will receive a 10 percent discount at all Target stores, the opportunity to earn holiday pay on Thanksgiving and Christmas and a chance to win a $500 holiday gift card, the company said.
The Gap expects to hire about 65,000 seasonal associates for its Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta stores, as well at its call centers and distribution centers. More than 450 of those positions will be available in the Chicago area.
The company is having a holiday hiring event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 6 at all its Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory, Old Navy stores and certain distribution and call centers.
Perks include flexible hours and up to 50 percent discounts.
Kohl’s announced it’s offering 15 percent discounts and associate shopping days for the seasonal workers they hired this summer.
Macy’s said it will hire 80,000 seasonal employees, the same number as last year.
Holiday hiring has extended beyond brick and mortar retail stores.
“With the rise of online shopping, transport and warehousing companies are also looking for seasonal workers. We’ve seen this trend over the last few years,” Challenger said.
FedEx announced it’s planning to hire 55,000 seasonal workers, 5,000 more than last year, and 1-800-Flowers will add 8,000 workers for the holiday season, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
Last year, seasonal retail employment increased by 668,400 during the final three months of the year, 4.3 percent higher than the 641,000 jobs added in 2017, according to employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Transportation and warehousing employment increased by a non-seasonally adjusted 279,700, up 13.4 percent from the 246,700 workers in the final quarter of 2017 and 6.6 percent higher than the 262,300 workers hired in this sector in the final three months of 2016, according to BLS data.