John Lewis launches biggest-ever Christmas recruitment drive

The Partnership, which owns grocer Waitrose as well as John Lewis department stores, intends to recruit for 13,700 seasonal roles, including 11,500 serving customers in shops. Approximately 2,200 are being sought for distribution centre and supply chain positions.

John Lewis Partnership chief people officer Jo Rackham 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, 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 recruitment spree came as the partnership, which is in the midst of a turnaround programme overseen by chair Jason Tarry, revealed a new managing director for Waitrose and a partnership with Topshop in its department stores business. The retailer also launched a marketing campaign promoting its Never Knowingly Undersold price promise as the golden quarter got underway.

Seasonal staff will be involved in launching seasonal ranges and the management of the Black Friday promotional spectacular, as well as the peak Christmas weeks. 

John Lewis expects to draw 30 million visitors to its shops over the period. Approximately 180 million visits to its website are anticipated, and distribution centres will dispatch more than two deliveries per second.