Retail holiday hiring is going to be challenging this year. Job consultancy Challenger Gray & Christmas expects retailers to add over 700,000 jobs for the season. Labor shortages and the need to pay people higher wages than in years past have changed the retail employment landscape.
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Can retailers find the people they need and post spectacular results for the final quarter of the year? The National Retail Federation expects total dollar sales will rise as much as 10.5% compared to 2020. That is an increase of up to $859 billion. NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay remarked on the holiday sales prediction:
There is considerable momentum heading into the holiday shopping season. Consumers are in a very favorable position going into the last few months of the year as income is rising and household balance sheets have never been stronger. Retailers are making significant investments in their supply chains and spending heavily to ensure they have products on their shelves to meet this time of exceptional consumer demand.
Among the tactics retailers will use is to raise the wages they pay seasonal workers. The New York Times reports that this includes higher wages, signing bonuses and even college tuition contributions. Jeff Gennette, the chief executive of Macy’s, told the paper, “there is a war for talent on the front lines.”
The 2021 holiday season represents a needed rebound for the entire industry. It suffered brutal sales declines in 2020. This probably hastened the shuttering of locations of J.C. Penney and Sears. It also forced retailers to strengthen their balance sheets to survive a period when revenue plunged.
While the pendulum of profitable retail operations has swung to e-commerce, led by Amazon, millions of people still visit traditional stores. And e-commerce has boosted another industry. UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal System move many products bought online and sent to homes and businesses.
Two retailers will add 150,000 seasonal employees each. They are, incidentally, the largest retailers in America: Amazon and Walmart.
These are the 16 retailers and package deliverers adding the most workers for the holidays:
- Amazon (150,000)
- Walmart (150,000)
- Target (100,000)
- UPS (100,0000)
- FedEx (90,000)
- Kohl’s (90,000)
- Macy’s (76,000)
- Gap (65,000)
- U.S. Postal Service (40,000)
- Nordstrom (28,600)
- Burlington (20,000)
- Hobby Lobby (20,000)
- Michaels (20,000)
- 800 Flowers (10,000)
- Belk (5,000)
- Best Buy (“thousands”)
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