John Lewis has become one of the first to kick off its Christmas hiring spree – with a record recruitment drive despite tough trading on the high street
High street giant John Lewis has announced plans to hire a record 13,700 Christmas workers.
The John Lewis Partnership has kicked off its biggest ever recruitment ahead of the busy festive shopping season. Seasonal roles will include 3,000 across its 35 John Lewis stores, 8,500 within Waitrose shops and nearly 2,200 across its warehouses and supply chain network.
Retailers traditionally take on a flood of temporary workers to cope with a jump in sales – both in store and now online – in the final three months of the year which, because of its importance for takings, is known as the “golden quarter”.
JLP said it was expecting some 30 million visitors to John Lewis shops during that time, while its warehouses are set to dispatch more than two deliveries each second.
The record recruitment drive comes despite difficult trading for many retailers as shoppers endure an ongoing cost of living crisis.
Other retailers are expected to follow suit, including the big supermarkets, with many more thousands of roles available for those who want to boost their incomes at what is an expensive time of year for many.
Jo Rackham, JLP’s chief people officer, said: “We’ve invested heavily to set ourselves up for a great golden quarter, but our excellent service also relies on having brilliant partners on hand, whenever and wherever our customers need them. Whether helping our customers find the perfect gift for a loved one, or the show-stopper for their Christmas lunch, our seasonal teams play a huge role in spreading the festive magic. They’re rewarding roles, at one of the most exciting times of year to work in retail.”
The expected busy period kicks off with the launch of new seasonal ranges, the build up to Black Friday in November, before moving into Christmas and John Lewis’ famous January Winter Sale, the so-called golden quarter is the retailer’s busiest period of the year.
John Lewis says successful candidates will receive a competitive salary and training, as well as flexible and blended working options. To apply, visit the seasonal shop roles page on its website at jlpjobs.com/Christmas.
JLP’s roughly 70,000 workers are known as “partners” due to its employee-owned structure, whereby they share in the profits of the business and can have a say in how it is run. However, workers have missed out on an annual bonus for the third year in a row.
Chairman Jason Tarry said earlier this year that he was “determined” to reinstate the bonus payments for staff when the retailer is in a position to do so.