Retailers take a targeted approach to seasonal hiring in preparation for historic holiday sales year
Retailers and logistics players are taking a more surgical approach to holiday hiring with flexible staffing and a focus on logistics cross-training in anticipation of a $1 trillion sales season.
Retailers are ramping up their seasonal hiring efforts in anticipation of a record-breaking holiday sales period, with the National Retail Federation projecting holiday retail sales to exceed $1 trillion for the first time. UPS is set to hire 100,000 workers to handle the surge in shipping demand, while Amazon plans to add 300,000 seasonal employees to its U.S. workforce, a 20% increase from last year.
Retail giants such as Macy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Foot Locker have already begun staff augmentation. Spirit Halloween, a retailer specializing in seasonal stores, is making its largest hiring push yet, with plans to hire over 52,000 seasonal associates across 1,500 U.S. and Canadian locations. Michaels, a craft retailer, has already begun hiring more than 10,000 employees, with nearly half of those positions potentially converting to permanent roles following last year's holiday season.
As the 2026 holiday shopping season approaches, both retailers and logistics companies are adjusting their workforce strategies to accommodate shifting consumer behavior and evolving supply chain demands.
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