Headlines

Looking for Holiday Help? Good Luck

Retailers may pay “more than they’re expecting.”

Published

8 years ago

October 27, 2016

INSTORE Staff

Bringing on temporary help for the holidays has been more difficult for retailers this year than in the past, the Wall Street Journal reports.

There are several reasons for the hiring crunch. For one, the employment rate is at a relatively low 5 percent.

Also, retailers face more competition for workers nowadays from distribution centers and logistics companies, which are hiring more people because of the uptick in e-commerce, the Journal reports.

“Retailers, in general, are going to wind up paying more for their seasonal workforce than they have in the past, and probably more than they’re expecting,” says Joel Bines, co-head of consulting firm Alix Partners LLP’s retail practice, according to the newspaper.

Companies looking for seasonal help started recruiting earlier than ever this year — in some cases in August, the newspaper reports, citing data from Indeed.com.

In fact, the tight labor market may be more an issue of timing than lack of workers. The National Retail Federation says total seasonal hiring this year will be roughly in line with last year.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”