Dive Brief:
- Target on Thursday rolled out its holiday plans, which include hiring up to 100,000 seasonal employees, the same amount the retailer intended to hire last year.
- That number includes both store employees and workers in the retailer’s supply chain facilities, according to a Target blog post. The retailer touted flexible and stable schedules, as well as training opportunities.
- The retailer is also bringing back its Target Deal Days, which will take place Oct. 6 to Oct. 8, and include “hundreds of thousands” of discounts across the company’s assortment.
Dive Insight:
Target’s holiday plan this year looks a lot like its plan last year.
The retailer is hiring the same number of employees, which is down about 30,000 from the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and will once again host its October deal days. The company touted its many fulfillment options once again, including the free order pickup and drive up services, which come with no minimum purchase limit, and its same-day delivery service through Shipt. During the early days of the pandemic, those services grew exponentially as customers looked for ways to avoid heading into physical stores.
One new element Target is stressing is an earlier start to its holiday discounts, with a seasonal price match guarantee coming into effect Oct. 6 and running through Christmas Eve.
“We’re rolling out deals earlier than ever and ensuring our team is ready to help our guests shop when and how they want,” Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said in a statement. “Throughout the season, guests will discover new and differentiated items for gifting and gathering, including only-at-Target owned brands and must-have national brands, and they can expect great deals and everyday low prices at every turn for an unmatched holiday shopping experience.”
Target is also stressing its in-store shop-in-shop experiences, including longstanding deals with Disney, Levi’s and Apple, as well as more recent tie-ups like Ulta. The retailer’s partnership with the beauty company rolled out last year, but will have a much bigger presence this year for the holidays. Ulta executives in August said the two had opened 186 shop-in-shops: The goal for 2022 was to open 250 more shop-in-shops together after the initial 2021 rollout.
On the toy front, Target’s recently announced deal with FAO Schwarz will give it access to an exclusive toy selection, and FAO Schwarz will have a dedicated space in Target stores for the season.
As Target plans for the season, the retailer is also overcoming recent inventory challenges. After challenged Q1 profits, the retailer in June announced it was taking more markdowns and canceling orders to rightsize its inventory before the holidays.
