In this 2009 file photo, shoppers make Black Friday purchases in Kohl's at Park City Center.
Local stores are gearing up to hire hundreds of seasonal employees in the next few weeks to help them out through the days leading up to and following Black Friday, the final holiday countdown and the day-after-Christmas returns.
"We're looking for someone with good availability and someone with energy. It's a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work," said Shawn Stankiewicz, manager of Boscov's department store in Park City Center.
Boscov's and Park City both are holding job fairs to attract seasonal workers.
Walmart is looking at applications in anticipation of a Nov. 1 start for its employees.
Tanger Outlets in Lancaster has more than a half-dozen stores looking for help and anticipates adding between 100 and 150 part-time employees over the holidays.
Most stores said they expect to add about the same number of workers as they did last year.
Kohl's, however, which has two stores in Lancaster County, said it would increase hiring more than 10 percent, bringing in an average of 41 holiday workers per store, according to a press release from its national headquarters.
Across the country, the National Retail Federation said retailers expect to hire between 585,000 and 625,000 holiday workers, comparable to the 607,500 who were hired last year, according to a press release.
Park City will hold its job fair from noon to 6 p.m. today at the mall's Community Room in the Kohl's wing. About 10 to 15 stores will have representatives to hand out applications and interview potential employees, said Jillian Fikkert, mall marketing manager.
Applications also will be available from some of the other 170 stores at the mall, she said.
"They start hiring now," she said. "They like to have everyone trained come the first week of November so they have a good hold on the staffing they have available on Black Friday."
Boscov's will hold its own job fair today, starting at 10 a.m. Qualified employees will be hired on the spot, Stankiewicz said.
The Walmart store on the Fruitville Pike anticipates adding 50 employees, said Carolann Craft, store manager.
Like other stores, Walmart will keep a few of its seasonal employees after the holidays, meaning seasonal positions can be a foot in the door for folks looking for year-round work.
Seasonal employees come from a variety of backgrounds, said Craft and other local store managers.
Some are retirees with time on their hands, looking for something to keep busy. Some are people with full-time jobs looking to make a little extra cash for holiday spending. Some are college students home on break.
Others are returning seasonal employees, who do the retail gig every holiday.
"They call us; we don't have to call them," Stankiewicz said, adding, "We hire a range from young to old."
A wide variety of positions is available and managers urge applicants to be flexible with not only their hours but the positions they will consider.
Stores need people to man the cash registers, but they also need employees to stock merchandise — sometimes during overnight shifts.
They need people to man layaway desks and to "fluff," or recover, departments — folding clothing, stacking merchandise and making display areas look neat.
Boscov's also hires people to do gift wrapping and to fill and pack Internet orders.
Stores will look for the best candidates — Craft said Walmart might interview four people for one cashier's job — but also are willing to train those who have not worked in retail before.
"If someone is willing to work, we'll find a place to put them," Stankiewicz said.
The Boscov's manager started out as a part-timer himself, when he was in the 11th grade back in 1986, and came back for the holidays every year when he was in college.
He's used to the annual run-up to the holidays.
"It's like Groundhog's Day. It's coming, and we know it," he said.
