The retail industry is preparing for its busiest time of year as it approaches Black Friday and the festive season, which typically sees a huge increase in customer spend.

Many retailers have started to recruit extra workers to help serve the influx of customers in-store as well as the rise in online orders.

The recruitment drive also gives an opportunity for thousands of people across the UK to work at a time when many are feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis.

Here are the retailers hiring temporary staff over the golden quarter, from sales assistants to distribution centre staff.

Aldi colleague (3)

Aldi

  • Number of roles: Discounter Aldi is recruiting 3,000 roles ahead of the busy festive period. 
  • Role duration: The discount supermarket chain is looking to hire temporary and permanent positions to help replenish stock and provide further assistance to customers during the Christmas season.

The grocer is also looking to fill 1,500 roles across its regional distribution centres in the UK. 

Amazon

  • Number of roles: Started recruiting for more than 15,000 seasonal roles across the UK for the festive period. 
  • Role duration: Unknown.

Argos

  • Number of roles: 2,000 across stores and warehouses. 
  • Role duration: Starts from mid-October and contracts are between three and 12 weeks.

Beaverbrooks

  • Number of roles: Retail sales consultants and dispatch pickers and packers across a variety of UK stores.
  • Role duration: From October until January 7 for retail sales consultants and January 14 for dispatch pickers and packers.

Boots

  • Number of roles: Over 1,000 customer assistant jobs, over 1,500 distribution centre roles, up to 600 in-store customer operations assistants, over 200 customer support centre roles
  • Role duration: From October to cover the Christmas period. Opportunity for permanent roles.

Card Factory

  • Number of roles: 6,000 fixed-term jobs across UK stores.
  • Role duration: Until December 31 with the possibility of being made permanent.

Currys

  • Number of roles: 720 part-time sales and support roles.
  • Role duration: From October 15 until January with an additional 370 permanent store staff and 120 drivers.

Dobbies 

  • Number of roles: 300 in stores.
  • Role duration: From mid-November and covering the Christmas season.

The Entertainer

  • Number of roles: Up to 800 varying from eight to 20 hours per week for sales assistants and night stock assistants.
  • Role duration: Unknown – fixed term with opportunity for permanent roles.

Flying Tiger Copenhagen

  • Number of roles: 250 store colleagues.
  • Role duration: Recruiting between now and November for Christmas with some roles extended into January.

Hobbycraft

  • Number of roles: 57 across its distribution centre and stores
  • Role duration: Unknown - chance for permanent contracts.

Iceland

  • Number of roles: 1,000 retail assistant roles and 750 home delivery drivers 
  • Role duration: fixed-term over 16 weeks with scope for permanent roles

John Lewis Christmas shop

John Lewis Partnership

  • Number of roles: 8,400 seasonal roles over the Christmas period, including 2,800 at Waitrose, 2,900 at John Lewis sales and merchandising, 2,700 in the supply chain.
  • Role duration: Unknown.

Morrisons

  • Number of roles: 3,500 colleagues including customer assistants, delivery drivers, and production and warehouse operatives.
  • Role duration: Unknown - room for permanent positions.

The Perfume Shop

  • Number of roles: Over 700 Christmas sales assistant roles.
  • Role duration: Unknown – chance for permanent roles.

Poundland

  • Number of roles: 1,200 jobs across UK.
  • Role duration: Until December 24 with some extended until early January.

ProCook

  • Number of roles: Warehouse team to increase by around 50% and store sales advisors to increase by around 40%.
  • Role duration: Unknown.

Sainsbury’s

  • Number of roles: 20,000 across stores and warehouses. 
  • Role duration: Starts from mid-October and contracts are between three and 12 weeks.

Superdrug Leicester

Superdrug

  • Number of roles: 1,000 sales assistants.
  • Role duration: To cover Black Friday and Christmas with the opportunity for permanent roles.

Tesco

  • Number of roles: 30,000 store colleagues.
  • Role duration: To cover the Christmas period with the opportunity for permanent roles.

Theo Paphitis Retail Group

  • Number of roles: Hemel Hempstead distribution centre staff to rise by around 20% as well as extra staff in stores.
  • Role duration: To cover Black Friday and Christmas.

Last updated: October 26, 2023.

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