High street retailer John Lewis is set to hire a record-breaking 13,700 seasonal workers for the upcoming festive season. This move marks the largest recruitment effort ever undertaken by the renowned John Lewis Partnership, encompassing various roles across its stores, including 3,000 positions in John Lewis outlets, 8,500 in Waitrose stores, and nearly 2,200 in its warehouses and supply chain network.
The surge in temporary hires is a common practice among retailers to manage the spike in sales, both in physical stores and online, during the lucrative “golden quarter” – the crucial three months leading up to the year-end. The company anticipates welcoming around 30 million visitors to its John Lewis stores and dispatching over two deliveries per second from its warehouses during this period.
Despite the challenging retail landscape impacted by the ongoing cost of living crisis, John Lewis’s proactive recruitment drive is a strategic move to enhance customer service and meet the seasonal demand. This initiative is expected to be mirrored by other major retailers, including supermarkets, offering numerous job opportunities for individuals seeking additional income during the costly holiday season.
Chief People Officer at JLP, Jo Rackham, emphasized the importance of having dedicated and passionate staff to deliver exceptional service during the festive period. The roles are described as rewarding and provide a unique opportunity to be part of the retail excitement during one of the busiest times of the year.
The bustling season commences with the introduction of new seasonal collections, leading up to Black Friday in November, followed by the festive period and the renowned January Winter Sale at John Lewis. This quarter is known to be the peak period for the retailer in terms of sales and customer engagement.
Successful applicants are promised competitive wages, training, and flexible working arrangements. Those interested in applying for these seasonal roles can visit the dedicated page on the John Lewis website. The employees at JLP, totaling approximately 70,000, are referred to as “partners” due to the company’s unique employee-owned structure, allowing them to share in the business profits and contribute to decision-making processes.
Although the workforce has missed out on annual bonuses for the third consecutive year, Chairman Jason Tarry has expressed a commitment to reinstating these payments once the business is in a favorable position to do so.