For many students, the holiday season means folding shirts, building displays, emptying dressing rooms and ringing up customers. Faced with four weeks off school, a seasonal retail job can be an enticing way to make money and stave off winter break boredom.
This year, those jobs may be harder to come by. Stores around the country expect to hire about 33 percent fewer seasonal employees than they did last year, according to a survey by SnagAJob.com. Local stores show the same trend, and they say the culprit is the economy.
Earl Reineman, vice president of Weavers department store, 901 Mass. St., said he hired 10 seasonal employees this year. That's slightly fewer than usual. He said the store didn't need as much help because shoppers were spending less money.
Shoppers still made it to Weavers on Black Friday, a traditionally busy day in retail. Unlike many stores, Weavers does not stay open for extended hours on Black Friday or throughout the holiday season. It wasn't worth it to pay employees for the extra hours.
"We figured the crowds would be there, but they may not spend as much," Reineman said.
The store has survived tough economic times--including the Great Depression--with increased advertising and a focus on customer service. The relatively small business competes with larger, corporate stores using amenities like free gift wrapping and local delivery.
Weavers also relies on name recognition after doing business in Lawrence for 151 years.
"Pretty much any challenge that comes our way, we've weathered it before," Reineman said.
The Gap, 643 Mass. St., hired eight seasonal employees this year--a few more than last year. Manager Annie Merrifield said Gap stores in the area were doing very well. She attributed the success to a new designer and more appealing products.
This year, those jobs may be harder to come by. Stores around the country expect to hire about 33 percent fewer seasonal employees than they did last year, according to a survey by SnagAJob.com. Local stores show the same trend, and they say the culprit is the economy.
Earl Reineman, vice president of Weavers department store, 901 Mass. St., said he hired 10 seasonal employees this year. That's slightly fewer than usual. He said the store didn't need as much help because shoppers were spending less money.
Shoppers still made it to Weavers on Black Friday, a traditionally busy day in retail. Unlike many stores, Weavers does not stay open for extended hours on Black Friday or throughout the holiday season. It wasn't worth it to pay employees for the extra hours.
"We figured the crowds would be there, but they may not spend as much," Reineman said.
The store has survived tough economic times--including the Great Depression--with increased advertising and a focus on customer service. The relatively small business competes with larger, corporate stores using amenities like free gift wrapping and local delivery.
Weavers also relies on name recognition after doing business in Lawrence for 151 years.
"Pretty much any challenge that comes our way, we've weathered it before," Reineman said.
The Gap, 643 Mass. St., hired eight seasonal employees this year--a few more than last year. Manager Annie Merrifield said Gap stores in the area were doing very well. She attributed the success to a new designer and more appealing products.
Nationally, Gap is doing relatively well. Its net income rose $246 million in its third quarter, which ended Nov. 1. But business in general is bad for retailers right now as shoppers cut back on nonessential items and buy more modest holiday gifts.
One Gap employee, who asked that her name not be used, said she noticed the economy's effect on business in Lawrence. After two years at The Gap, she had come to expect to work a long shift on Black Friday to accommodate the store's extended hours. Instead, she was surprised to see that she hadn't been scheduled at all.
"I think we just aren't fearing the crowds anymore," she said. "When the economy's this bad, you're not going to spend $80 on a sweater."
The employee said that fewer customers were coming in during her shifts. She thinks the store needed fewer employees on duty because of reduced sales. Last month she began looking for a second job to make up for the hours she's losing at Gap.
One Gap employee, who asked that her name not be used, said she noticed the economy's effect on business in Lawrence. After two years at The Gap, she had come to expect to work a long shift on Black Friday to accommodate the store's extended hours. Instead, she was surprised to see that she hadn't been scheduled at all.
"I think we just aren't fearing the crowds anymore," she said. "When the economy's this bad, you're not going to spend $80 on a sweater."
The employee said that fewer customers were coming in during her shifts. She thinks the store needed fewer employees on duty because of reduced sales. Last month she began looking for a second job to make up for the hours she's losing at Gap.
Many smaller retailers, like Maurice's and Shark's Surf Shop, said they rarely hired seasonal employees. They'd prefer to hire people who could work year-round, particularly during Lawrence's Sidewalk Sale in July. Larger chains, like Bath & Body Works and Best Buy, said they hired seasonal workers but could not discuss hiring practices.
