Target to Hire 70,000 for the Holiday Season

Target said yesterday that it's hiring 70,000 seasonal workers during the busiest time of year for the retailer. That’s the same number as last year, reflecting a slowdown in the discount retailer’s business and less-than-rosy outlook for the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas period. Of those 70,000, the vast majority will be in Target's stores, but 7,500 will be assigned to the retailer's order fulfillment and distribution centers.

Total Retail's Take: Target is the first national retailer to announce its holiday hiring plans, in what figures to be a competitive season for workers. What's interesting about Target's announcement is that it's the same number of new hires as last year, however, one area that is seeing an uptick in staff is the company's distribution centers. Target is investing in growing its online business as it tries to compete with the likes of Amazon.com and, more importantly, Wal-Mart. While still a growth area for Target, e-commerce slowed considerably in the second quarter. The retailer is intent on turning that around.