GameStop Plans to Hire More Than 28,000 Workers for Holidays

GameStop Corp. plans to hire more than 28,000 seasonal workers for the coming holiday season, an increase of 12% from a year earlier.

The videogame retailer said it is recruiting sales and service advisers for its retail stores, consumer electronic technicians for its refurbishment operation center, and warehouse personnel for its two distribution centers based in Grapevine, Texas and Louisville, Ky.

About a year ago, GameStop said it planned to add 25,000 seasonal workers for the 2014 holiday season, a boost of 47% over 2013, partly in anticipation of new games for Microsoft's Xbox One, the Nintendo Wii U and Sony's PlayStation 4.

Retailers typically hire temporary, part-time staff to help handle the higher traffic that occurs during the holidays.

Overall, holiday hiring by U.S. retailers is expected to be flat this year, partly due to changing shopping habits and job growth in the sector earlier this year, according to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recently said that it plans to hire 60,000 seasonal workers for the coming holiday season, matching its hiring level from last year. Rival Target Corp. said it would hire 70,000 employees to help during the holiday rush, the third year in a row it is boosting its workforce by that same amount.

Last month GameStop reported that its earnings rose 2.8% as efforts to expand its product lines helped buoy sales but raised costs for its latest quarter. The growing installed base of Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 consoles has boosted sales of new games as well as used games. The company also has been rolling out its licensed merchandise and collectibles—or "loot"—business in the U.S. to drive growth.

Write to Tess Stynes at [e-mail]

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September 29, 2015 10:55 ET (14:55 GMT)

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