Asda plans to recruit 10,000 permanent staff to provide cover over Christmas and key holiday periods throughout the year.
The move will reduce the cost of re-hiring and training temporary employees at the Wal-Mart-owned grocer.
The staff will be required to work for two weeks each at Christmas and Easter and six weeks during the summer, when many Asda staff take holiday leave.
An Asda spokeswoman said that many employees - such as students and part-time working parents - come back year after year, so money is wasted re-recruiting.
The 'Seasonal Squad' will work as little as 10 weeks a year, but will be treated as full-time staff contracted to work an annual, rather than weekly, number of hours.
'We recognise people are looking for flexibility across the working year, not just the working week,' said Asda retail people director Caroline Massingham.
Separately, Marks & Spencer is recruiting 12,500 temporary employees for this year's Christmas period.
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