Wayne, N.J. — Toys“R”Us plans to bring in 45,000 seasonal workers for the holiday period, on par with last year’s hires.
“With traffic in our stores and on our e-commerce site peaking in the weeks leading up to Christmas, our expanded holiday workforce plays a vital role in delivering exceptional customer service and providing memorable shopping experiences,” the No. 1 playthings chain said in a statement.
Analysts use retailers’ holiday hires as a barometer for the economy, although this year’s crystal ball is cloudy: while Toys“R”Us’ recruitment plans are flat to last year, Walmart is adding 10 percent more temps for a total of 55,000 seasonal workers, while Target is reducing its part-time workforce 20 percent, to 70,000 employees, due to more efficient labor deployment, it said.
Early retail sales forecasts are similarly at odds. ShopperTrak projected a 2 percent increase in holiday sales for November and December, while Deloitte forecasted a gain of as much as 4.5 percent for the November to January period.
