New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Temporary hiring across India’s organised retail, e‑commerce, quick commerce, logistics, FMCG and consumer durables is expected to grow 15–20 per cent this festive season, with employers moving beyond volume recruitment toward specialised frontline roles to support a longer sales calendar and faster fulfilment, a report said on Wednesday.
The report from TeamLease Services said South and West India including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad will lead hiring growth.
Tier I metros are expected to account for 40.5 per cent of the frontline workforce in 2026, up from 38.2 per cent in 2025 and 33.1 per cent in 2024.
Tier II cities are expected to account for 26.5 per cent, while Tier III markets will contribute 33 per cent.
The growing concentration in metros is being driven by the rapid scaling of e-commerce and quick-commerce networks, particularly dark stores and hyperlocal fulfilment infrastructure. Meanwhile, Tier II and III markets continue to see absolute workforce growth, supported by expanding retail and logistics footprints.
Balasubramanian A, Senior Vice President, TeamLease Services said employers are focusing equally on speed, productivity, and customer experience, leading to increased demand for specialised operational roles.
“Organisations are also investing more in incentives, digital onboarding, and workforce readiness to ensure seamless execution during the festive period,” he added.
The report identified warehouse pickers, packers and dark-store personnel as the largest hiring categories this festive season, followed by in‑store promoters, retail associates.
Demand is also rising for newer operational roles such as inventory and fulfilment coordinators, warehouse automation operators and returns management executives, reflecting the increasing sophistication of India’s retail supply chains.
Employers are increasingly deploying attendance bonuses, sale-event surge pay, referral incentives, productivity-linked rewards and digital learning programmes to improve retention during peak demand.
The report also highlighted paperless onboarding, pre-assessed talent pools and cross-functional training as key workforce strategies helping businesses shorten hiring cycles and improve deployment readiness.
—IANS
aar/ag
