Dick’s Sporting Goods Hiring Fewer Seasonal Workers Than Last Year

Dick’s Sporting Goods is hiring fewer seasonal workers for the upcoming holiday season than it did last year.

The retailer is looking to hire 8,600 seasonal workers this year, Dick’s Sporting Goods said in a Tuesday (Sept. 26) press release.

For last year’s holiday season, the retailer said in September 2022 that it was looking to hire 9,000 seasonal workers. The year before that, 2021, the retailer aimed to hire the largest number of seasonal associates in its history — 10,000.

Sporting goods retailers have seen weak wholesale demand due to consumers reducing their spending on discretionary items, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Other retailers’ holiday hiring plans for this year are mixed, with some looking to add about the same number of workers as last year, some hiring fewer and others hiring more.

Three large retailers — Target, 1-800-Flowers.com and Kroger — have announced plans that are similar to those they announced last year. A fourth retailer — Macy’s — plans to hire 3,000 fewer workers for seasonal positions than last year.

Bath & Body Works, which didn’t announce its hiring plans in 2022, aims to add 2,500 workers this year.

Amazon plans to hire more people for this year’s holiday shopping season. It is looking to hire 250,000 employees for the holiday season, up from 150,000 last year.

Amazon’s job openings include full-time, part-time and seasonal positions in fulfillment centers and transportation roles in hundreds of cities and towns across the United States.

As for Dick’s Sporting Goods, for the 2023 holiday season, it is holding a “National Signing Day” on Oct. 3 at stores across the country, kicking off its holiday recruiting efforts. The company said in the press release that it offers an award-winning workplace culture, competitive pay, optional DailyPay and an associate discount.

“Our seasonal teammates are key to creating a great holiday shopping experience for our athletes,” Julie Lodge-Jarrett, senior vice president and chief people and purpose officer at Dick’s Sporting Goods, said in the release. “We’re looking forward to offering an unparalleled in-store experience with the most in-demand brands and styles and having a knowledgeable and friendly team is critical.”