One of the biggest retail seasons of the year is fast approaching, and Target is hedging its bets to harness as many holiday dollars as it can. The retailer has unveiled as seasonal hiring plan of drastic proportions: 100,000 seasonal workers.
"Target has made significant investments in our business throughout 2017, and our commitment to hire 100,000 team members for the holidays will make shopping at Target even easier and more fun during one of the busiest times of the year," Chief Store Officer, Janna Potts, said in a press release. "As always, we will provide our seasonal team members with meaningful opportunities to build and develop skills, and offer great benefits, including a variety of schedules and team member discounts."
The hiring boost is more than 40% from last year’s seasonal hiring spree of 70,000 workers, and the retailer said that it plans to add 4,500 jobs at its distribution centers, in anticipation of more online orders, on top of that.
"The second half of the year should be stronger for retail, and it should be okay to hire with that attitude," Craig Johnson, President of Consumer Growth Partners, told CNBC in a recent interview. "Now we're watching the whole industry."
Johnson noted that the the holiday season has been under close watch as retailers want to get a competitive edge, observing that Target has kept its seasonal hiring relatively conservative the last few years.
"Seasonal hiring is an indication of where the market is headed," he told the news source. "If they're hiring more people, this is good news. Retailers that are hiring more people are doing press releases. ... Conversely, if you're not hiring a lot of people, you're not doing a press release."
In addition to market-competitive wages and a variety of schedules, benefits Target said it is offering a 10 percent merchandise discount at Target and Target.com, and an additional 20 percent wellness discount on fruits and veggies, Simply Balanced brand foods, and C9 athletic gear.
Like in past years, the retailer will also give current team members across the country the chance to add extra holiday hours to their schedules.
The seasonal hiring begins Oct. 13. A full list of open positions can be found here.
