Tesco and Sainsbury’s have both announced they are recruiting people to help them with increased demand over the festive period.

Sainsbury’s said it will hire 22,000 temporary workers across the UK, which includes 2,000 people to work in Argos stores. Roles are available across the business including in Sainsbury’s warehouses and in its stores.

The supermarket added that it has improved its staff discount schemes and all temporary employees will now receive a second discount card for anyone living at their address as well as free food during shifts.

Tesco said it is looking to fill 30,000 jobs mainly in its larger stores, adding that there are a variety of shifts available which would suit students and people looking to return to the workforce.

Tesco added that temporary employees will have the opportunity to apply for permanent roles once the festive season has ended.

“This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to boost their earnings over the festive period or who needs to find a route back into the workplace,” said James Goodman, people director at Tesco. “Our festive roles are a fantastic way to become part of the Tesco team, with roles working on checkouts to picking orders for home delivery or replenishing the store. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to meet great people, learn new skills and be part of a diverse team where everyone is welcome.”

Commenting on the news Prerana Issar, chief people officer at Sainsbury’s, said “⁠This is the busiest time in the retail calendar, and we are looking for people with a passion for good food who can thrive in a fast-paced environment and are committed to providing brilliant customer service. This is a perfect opportunity to kickstart a career with Sainsbury's, and we can't wait to welcome new and returning faces this Christmas.”

Several other retailers in the UK have recently announced they are recruiting extra staff to cope with peak season demand, including Morrisons, which last week said it will hire over 3,500 people to work its stores, warehouses and as delivery drivers.

Earlier this week, Aldi announced that it will hire 3,000 people to cover a variety of roles over the peak season.

Last month, Currys said that 720 temporary roles will be available in 285 stores across the UK, with the retailer also hiring roughly 350 people for permanent roles and around 120 drivers.

Earlier this year, John Lewis said it would be recruiting for over 10,000 roles across the country as it prepares for Christmas. Waitrose will recruit around 2,800 seasonal roles across its 329 shops and a further 2,900 temporary roles have been created in sales and merchandising at John Lewis.

Share Story: