Macy’s Holiday Hiring Plans Prove It’s Betting Big on E-Commerce

‘Tis the season for retailers to ramp up their holiday hiring — and Macy’s Inc. is making sure it is prepared for a rush of online orders as an increasing share of business moves to e-commerce.

The company announced on Wednesday that it would hire a total of 80,000 temporary workers for the 2018 holiday shopping season, with 23,500 located at online fulfillment centers, an increase of 5,500 over last year. The total figure includes jobs at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores, call centers, distribution centers and fulfillment centers across the U.S., and 1,000 roles supporting signature events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The retailer will hold its annual hiring event on Oct. 18 and is no doubt hoping that Kohl’s and JCPenney haven’t already snapped up all the best candidates, since both department stores started their seasonal efforts in earnest in late June. That unusual move was prompted in part by the tight labor market, which has held strong since the summer and which could make it more challenging to find qualified candidates at the wages that retailers have become accustomed to paying.

Unlike most of its department store competitors, Macy’s doesn’t break out online sales in its quarterly earnings, but its executives have cited “robust e-commerce” and mobile growth as driving forces behind its rebound over the past year. Macy’s has also consistently received plaudits from researchers and industry analysts for its online experience, omnichannel initiatives and digital marketing efforts.

This spring, SimilarWeb named it the top U.S. apparel retailer, with 55.9 million average monthly visitors — many of whom will no doubt be shopping the site this coming holiday season.