Target to Hire 100,000 Seasonal Workers

Target is planning to hire 100,000 workers for the upcoming holiday season, a 43 percent increase from last year, after keeping seasonal hiring flat for the last four years. Target also said it will hire 4,500 people for the season at its distribution and fulfillment centers, which supply products to its 1,816 stores as well as fulfill online orders. The company hired 7,500 employees to work at the distribution and fulfillment centers last year as it required additional staffing for three new facilities. Target also said it “streamlined operational processes” at the facilities this year, requiring lesser staffing.

Total Retail’s Take: Last year, Target hired 70,000 in-store workers for the holiday period, opting to take a more cautious as it planned for subdued sales as competition grew from Amazon.com. This year, Target is prepping for fierce holiday 2017 competition, and as such is making additional hires to provide customers with the best experiences possible. Target said last month it will roll out ship-from-store to more stores ahead of the holiday season, allowing more than 1,400 stores to ship products directly to customers. It's also extending Restock, its next-day home delivery service, to more markets ahead of the holidays. It may be September, but holiday preparations are well underway for most retailers.