John Lewis to hire 12,500 extra staff over Christmas shopping period

The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has announced its largest-ever Christmas recruitment drive, with plans to hire 12,500 temporary staff across its department stores and Waitrose supermarkets.

This represents a significant increase of 4,100 more seasonal workers compared to the previous year.

The retail group aims to bolster its workforce in preparation for the busy festive period, including Black Friday, Christmas, and the January sales.

Recruitment has already begun for various roles, including supermarket assistants, night shift workers, customer delivery drivers, and warehouse staff.

The company reports high interest in the available positions, with only a small number of vacancies remaining. The recruitment drive is spread across various sectors of the JLP business.

Waitrose is set to hire 7,700 seasonal workers for its 300-plus shops, with roles including supermarket assistants and delivery drivers.

Do you have a money story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing money@gbnews.uk.

John Lewis stores are recruiting 2,000 temporary staff, with most positions already filled due to high demand.

An additional 2,800 workers will be hired through agencies for supply chain roles, such as warehouse workers and drivers, to manage increased online orders.

JLP has already seen a surge in Christmas-related purchases, with Waitrose Christmas range volumes up 25 per cent year-on-year and John Lewis Christmas shop decoration sales increasing by 20 per cent.

Charlotte Lock, customer director at JLP, emphasised the importance of personal service in their Christmas hiring strategy.

She stated: “Whether making sure you’re choosing the right headphones or wanting inspirational food ideas for entertaining, we know customers value the independent, trusted advice they get from our partners and that friendly, personal touch.”

Lock also highlighted the strong interest in the seasonal roles among British workers.

“Our partners have always been at the heart of what sets us apart.

“We’re thrilled by the interest the roles have already received and that people want to be part of the excitement that surrounds our two brands at Christmas.”

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

Homebase to close 11 stores before end of the year – full list of sites shutting downReeves admits plans to bend rules as Labour plots £50bn borrowing spree in tax-hiking BudgetLabour’s pension shake-up could see UK markets in financial turmoil

Various businesses and organisations are offering jobs over the Christmas season ahead of an expected increase in footfall.

Aldi has confirmed it is hiring 3,500 roles, while Amazon is adding 15,000 extra staff across its centres and delivery stations.

The online retail giant’s operations director Anil Verma said: “We prepare year-round for the festive season, and we’re excited to have more than 15,000 positions available this year in the UK.

“Our seasonal colleagues play an integral role in helping us deliver an exceptional experience for our customers.”