Dive Brief:
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Target on Tuesday announced plans to hire nearly 100,000 seasonal employees, which is the same number the retailer has aimed for in the past few years. The big-box retailer already employs more than 400,000 people, according to an announcement on its holiday hiring plans.
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Macy’s on Monday released its own hiring plans, aiming to fill more than 38,000 full- and part-time positions this season. That’s down from the 41,000 last year, though the department store said its hiring plans are “consistent with open positions in 2022.”
- Applications at Target will be available online starting Wednesday. Macy’s will accept applications online as well as at two nationwide in-person hiring events this fall.
Dive Insight:
Major retailers this week have already announced hiring plans, with both Macy’s and Target laying out their strategy for staffing up ahead of the holiday season.
Macy’s is hiring employees to work at its namesake, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury stores, as well as its distribution centers. The retailer emphasized competitive pay, an “unmatched culture” and career opportunities.
“The holidays are one of Macy’s, Inc.’s most important seasons to deliver a great shopping experience for our customers and our colleagues are the company’s greatest brand ambassadors at this special time of year,” Danielle Kirgan, Macy’s chief transformation and human resources officer, said in a statement.
While Target’s hiring level is about the same as the past two years. Macy’s is just under last year, and a stark contrast to its 2021 plan to hire 76,000. The department store now counts positions rather than people, which explains most of that discrepancy, as two or more people may fill one holiday position, notes GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders.
But Macy’s and other retailers are likely more cautious, too, compared to 2021, with holiday sales this year much less certain, he said.
The majority of the positions Target is hiring for are in stores, including roles like guest advocate, front of store attendant, fulfillment expert, general merchandising expert, food and beverage expert, and style consultant. Tasks include stocking products, scanning and bagging items, and supporting Target’s order pick-up and drive-up services, the last of which has expanded since last year to offer Starbucks order pickup and return services.
Target touted starting wages that range from $15 to $24, flexible schedules, discounted merchandise and healthcare benefits. Many seasonal employees have a chance to stay on at Target after the holidays, the retailer said. Current employees will have the option to pick up more hours during the holidays, and Target is also offering On Demand positions to both new and current employees that let workers pick up shifts as they want.
“The holiday season is a special time at Target—and our team makes it all possible. Delivering an exceptional shopping experience is at the heart of how Team Target operates and is driven by our culture of caring, growing and winning together,” Emily Hebert, senior vice president of stores HR at Target, said in a statement.
Also on Tuesday, Target announced details about its early holiday deals, including Target Circle Week, which will take place just before Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days.
Daphne Howland contributed to this report.
