How major retailers are staffing up for the 2021 holiday season

Amazon is hiring 150,000 seasonal workers on top of the 125,000 transportation and fulfillment employees it began hiring for in September.

By Retail Dive Staff • Updated Oct. 18, 2021

Toymakers worry congestion will lead to holiday inventory troubles

The time it takes to ship products from China to the U.S. increased by 83% in September compared to before the pandemic, according to Freightos.

By Alejandra Carranza • Sept. 27, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

How retailers can win over shoppers during the holidays

Retailers are pulling all the levers to drive loyalty during the industry’s all-important quarter.

By Retail Dive staff

COVID-19 surge, port delays threaten retailers' holiday plans

As the pandemic continues, preparing for the upcoming season becomes more complex. Retailers are facing labor shortages and limited inventory capacity. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 27, 2021

Target announces plans to hire 100K seasonal workers

The retailer is planning to make fewer hires this holiday but it is offering existing staff an additional 5 million hours and a more flexible schedule.  

By Maria Monteros • Sept. 23, 2021

FedEx diverts packages as labor shortage bites into service levels

The need for labor will only become more pressing as the carrier braces for peak season.

By Max Garland • Sept. 23, 2021

Big Lots plans 'bypass network' to mitigate port congestion during peak season

A bypass network will help imports skip a touch, and arrive in time for holiday shopping.

By Edwin Lopez • Sept. 20, 2021

The Weekly Closeout: Drunk Elephant inks deal with Ulta and Indochino gets comfy

The beauty brand, once exclusively sold at Sephora, expands its physical presence, while the DTC brand known for suits moves into knitwear.

By Retail Dive Staff • Sept. 17, 2021

Lowe's places larger orders with suppliers to avoid holiday stockouts

The hardware retailer says inventory levels are "actually getting better, not worse," as other companies struggle to navigate supply chain disruptions. 

By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 17, 2021

Holiday sales could spike 9% in 2021: Deloitte

Last year's spending growth during the season surprised many retail observers. This year could be even better.  

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 14, 2021

Vietnam closures push retailers to shift tactics, suppliers ahead of the holidays

Big Lots expects $60 million in lost sales due to lockdowns in Vietnam, which may last until the end of the month.

By Edwin Lopez • Sept. 14, 2021

Shoppers returning to their earlier pandemic behaviors, research finds

The delta variant of the coronavirus is undermining consumer sentiment heading into the holidays, according to several reports.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 13, 2021

Macy's Thanksgiving parade is letting spectators back in this year

After being limited to television last year, the event is back, complete with giant balloons and health protocols.

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 9, 2021

Francesca’s tests new concepts, including tween stores

The apparel chain is ready for some changes after emerging from last year's bankruptcy, CEO Andrew Clarke said in a recent interview.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 3, 2021

Walmart bumps up hourly pay by $1 for over 500K workers

As retailers compete for labor ahead of the holidays, Walmart is raising wages for front-end, food and consumable, and general merchandise workers.

By Maria Monteros • Sept. 3, 2021

Walmart aims to hire 20K supply chain workers ahead of holiday season

The retailer is looking to fill permanent full-time and part-time roles amid shipping constraints as businesses compete for labor.

By Maria Monteros • Sept. 1, 2021

How to turn first-time holiday shoppers into repeat, account-holding customers

Retailers have prioritized providing a fast and seamless one-click checkout experience to shoppers to help combat the rush and stress of holiday shopping

Aug. 30, 2021

With plans to hire 8K employees, Lululemon raises hourly pay

In late September, the athleisure retailer's minimum wage will start at $15 or $17 to accommodate growth and prep for the holidays.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 26, 2021

The Backroom: Delta's looming impact on retail

On this episode, Daphne Howland and Ben Unglesbee discuss the implications of the new variant on the industry.

By Retail Dive Team • Aug. 26, 2021

Target triples Disney shop-in-shops ahead of holiday season

Nearly two years after its initial rollout, the companies plan on increasing the number of toy stores to over 160.

By Maria Monteros • Aug. 23, 2021

USPS shippers need 2-day notice of disruption to avoid hectic peak, watchdog says

The Postal Service didn't announce embargoes and volume redirections during the 2020 peak season early enough for mailers to adjust. 

By Max Garland • Aug. 20, 2021

FedEx outlines peak surcharges for Ground, Express that will extend into 2022

Surcharges for peak season are in line with UPS, setting up another costly holiday for companies shipping high volumes with the major parcel carriers.

By Max Garland • Aug. 17, 2021

USPS boosts sortation capacity, plans surcharges ahead of peak season

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said USPS is adding facilities and equipment "at a magnitude not endeavored here in a long time."

By Max Garland • Aug. 12, 2021

Party City to open four times more Halloween pop-ups as in 2020

But the physical footprint still falls far short of the store count before the pandemic and acceleration of multi-channel shopping. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 10, 2021

NRF: Supply chain challenges not over as demand for back-to-school, holiday increase

"This part of the recovery is not a pretty sight," Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said in a joint report with the trade organization.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Aug. 10, 2021

Amazon rushes to boost fulfillment capacity as it plays 'catch-up' to demand

The company doubled its fulfillment network size, but it wasn't enough to meet demand for one-day delivery. (And peak season is yet to come.)

By Max Garland • Aug. 2, 2021