Michaels hiring 15K holiday employees ahead of busy retail season
Florida, Port St Lucie, The Landing at Tradition, outdoor mall, Michaels, hobby craft art store, customer loading trunk. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Michaels Companies Inc. is seeking 15,000 people to staff up its craft stores for the gift-giving season.
To do so, the Texas-based arts and crafts purveyor is holding its annual seasonal hiring event on Sept. 17 to fill roles at its stores and distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada for the 2022 holiday season. Interested applicants will be able to apply during the event, from noon to 4 p.m. local time, or online.
Micheal's Chief Operating Officer Joe Venezia told FOX Business in an exclusive interview that the company deliberately decreased the number of seasonal hires this year in order to increase the number of hours available for seasonal employees.
This "means more earning potential for those hires," Venezia added.
RETAIL SALES COOL IN JULY AS WHITE-HOT INFLATION WEIGHS ON SPENDING
Last year, the company tried to recruit more than 20,000 employees for the season.
However, having more earning potential is key for many consumers due to the fact that the cost of living has increased dramatically with rising interest rates and inflation sitting near its highest level in four decades.
"Despite inflation, consumers will still spend money in some capacity — with many of them working more hours or finding part-time/seasonal work to make this possible," CareerBuilder Chief Marketing Officer Kristin Kelley said, adding that various age groups are in the market for seasonal work.
An employee of Michaels retail store pushes a cart filled with orders outside of the store on May 18, 2020 in Paramus, New Jersey. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
This includes 23% of Generation Z consumers, 24% of millennials and 14% of Generation X, "and we’d expect more as the holidays get closer," according to Kelley, citing the company's latest survey conducted by The Harris Poll.
The holiday season is also seen as one of the most pivotal times for the retail industry. To gain an edge over competition and to make sure its stores are well staffed, Venezia says employees will not only get more hours, but they will have a 30% discount, flexible schedules and advancement opportunities.
MORE SHOPPERS TURN TO DISCOUNT STORES TO ‘CUT THE COSTS’ OF INFLATION
The company also said it offers a competitive wage, which varies per location. The company declined to comment on what that figure is but touted that many of its locations have exceeded state minimum wages.
"We see 50% of our seasonal team members convert to permanent positions each year, and many of our seasonal team members go on to be store managers and key leaders," Venezia said.
Social distancing guidelines sign at Michaels craft store during Pandemic, Queens, New York. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Staffing up will help the retailer meet the surge in demand that's expected over the holiday even with higher prices.
"Much of our business is driven by our makers’ desire to celebrate seasonal trends and holidays throughout the year with decor and hand-made gifting, with demand increasing exponentially around the winter holidays," Venezia said.
In fact, Venezia added that the company is well positioned amid the tumultuous economic environment, and because of that "DIY’ing, and upcycling are all very economical ways" to keep people entertained, he said.