Amazon to hire 80,000 employees for help with holiday shipping operations

The holidays are fast approaching, and Amazon is hustling to prepare for the expected seasonal influx of orders. Retailers typically gain 20 percent of their yearly sales during November and December, so the company is under pressure to supply an easy and pleasant shopping experience for customers.

This enhanced effort comes on the heels of the 2013 holiday season, when UPS and other shipping companies were inundated with last minute orders. This sudden spike in online sales caused issues with delivery fulfillment, and some parcels failed to be shipped within the proper timeframe. Products ordered from Amazon constituted a good deal of the delayed orders, so the company is eager to prevent a similar occurrence this year.

Amazon has, as part of this effort, recently opened more fulfillment centers to handle the increased volume of inventory, so it is now boasting more than 50 locations in the United States. To ensure that the shipping process runs smoothly throughout the coming months, the company plans to hire 80,000 new seasonal employees, representing a 14 percent increase from last season.

So far in 2014, Amazon has converted 10,000 seasonal workers into full-time employees, and Vice President of North American operations, Mike Roth, says they are "looking forward to converting thousands more...after this holiday season."

UPS and FedEx are also increasing their temporary hires in preparation for bigger sales over the next few months. The National Retail Federation is forecasting a 4.1 percent increase in November and December sales from last year, so retailers can expect a strong performance during the last quarter.

If your company needs a third-party logistics team for shipping help over the holidays, call Reliable Runners today. We'll make a personalized plan with you to ensure that your customers receive their products in a smooth and timely manner.