Observed Signal · Oct 19, 2026 · Business Update · Source: Retail Dive · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Dick's Sporting Goods cuts seasonal holiday hiring by 20%
Dick's Sporting Goods plans to hire more than 11,000 seasonal workers for the 2026 holiday season, about 20% fewer than last year. The company aims to hire around 8,400 employees for its Dick's Sporting Goods, Dick's House of Sport, Going Going Gone, and Public Lands stores, plus 2,900 for Foot Locker, Kid's Foot Locker, WSS, and Champs Sports stores in North America. This reduction aligns with a broader trend in U.S. retail, where Q4 seasonal hiring is forecast to decline 2.5% to 450,000 positions, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The National Retail Federation offers a slightly more optimistic outlook, expecting 325,000-375,000 hires. Dick's recent acquisition of Foot Locker and lowered full-year outlook for the brand, with expected operating losses of $40-80 million, contribute to the cautious approach. The retailer will host its ninth annual National Signing Day to facilitate hiring.
This news is about seasonal hiring at a retail company, which is not directly related to AdTech, MarTech, or advertising. It may have indirect implications for retail media or marketing budgets, but the direct relevance to the advertising technology industry is low.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Dick's Sporting Goods plans to hire over 11,000 seasonal workers for the 2026 holiday season, down about 20% year-over-year.
- The company aims to hire about 8,400 employees for its Dick's Sporting Goods, Dick's House of Sport, Going Going Gone and Public Lands stores.
- Additionally, 2,900 seasonal workers are planned for Foot Locker, Kid's Foot Locker, WSS and Champs Sports stores in North America.
- U.S. retailers are forecast to add 450,000 seasonal positions in Q4 2026, down 2.5% from last year, per Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
- Dick's Sporting Goods expects Foot Locker to have an operating loss of $40 million to $80 million in the current outlook.
- In Q2 2026, Dick's Sporting Goods reported net sales of $5.6 billion, up 53.2% year-over-year, while net income fell 17% to $315 million.
- The ninth annual National Signing Day will be held on Wednesday for on-site interviews.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. plans to hire more than 11,000 seasonal workers for the 2026 holiday season across its subsidiary brands.”
“The company also anticipates hiring 2,900 seasonal workers for its Foot Locker, Kid's Foot Locker, WSS and Champs Sports stores in North Ame...”
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Dick’s Strong Quarter Calms Foot Locker Concerns
Dick’s Sporting Goods reported a strong first quarter on May 27, 2026, with the Dick’s business recording same-store comps and net sales up 6%, prompting the company to raise full-year comparable-sales guidance for both Dick’s and Foot Locker. Dick’s Executive Chairman Ed Stack said Foot Locker posted its first positive comps since late 2024, and refreshed stores under its Fast Break initiative saw double-digit comps in Q1. Dick’s has refreshed roughly 100 Foot Locker locations and plans about 250 by the back-to-school season, when it will also assume merchandise buying responsibility for Foot Locker. CEO Lauren Hobart said the Dick’s portfolio saw broad-based strength and customer demand for newness. The company is also expanding store concepts (House of Sport) and launched an AI conversational product, Coach by Dick’s, in its mobile app to deliver tailored recommendations and training advice.
Dick’s: Foot Locker Turnaround Faces Footwear Challenges
Dick’s Sporting Goods said it remains bullish on Foot Locker despite lowering its full-year pro forma comparable sales guidance for the Foot Locker segment to -2% to 0%, citing challenging conditions in the athletic footwear market. Dick’s reported that Foot Locker pro forma comps declined 3.6% in Q2 (after a 0.6% increase in Q1), while the Dick’s business posted 4.9% comp growth and the company reported $5.587 billion in Q2 net sales (up 53.2% year over year). Executives attributed Foot Locker’s softness to heavy promotion, elevated legacy footwear inventory, fewer product launches and EMEA weakness, while noting progress from a new brand campaign, store remodel program “Fast Break,” and other initiatives following Dick’s $2.4 billion acquisition of Foot Locker in 2025.
NRF forecasts 4.2% holiday sales growth, muted seasonal hiring
The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts holiday retail sales to grow 4.2% year-over-year to roughly $1 trillion during November and December 2026. The trade group believes nearly half of the nominal growth will come from real consumer spending, despite inflationary pressures such as higher diesel and memory prices. Seasonal hiring is expected to be muted, with retailers adding between 325,000 and 375,000 workers, reflecting a 'low hire, low fire' labor market. Last year's sales grew 3.1% to $972 billion, missing NRF's earlier forecast. The forecast is based on economic indicators including consumer spending, income, employment, and inflation, excluding categories like gas stations and auto dealers.
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