John Lewis is looking for 14,000 employees for the season: how to join the Christmas hub.

John Lewis and Waitrose are seeking additional employees for the festive season

According to The Sun: With the holidays approaching, John Lewis and Waitrose have announced that they plan to hire around 14,000 temporary staff to manage the increased demand during the Christmas period.

The retailer John Lewis has launched the largest recruitment campaign in its history, offering 13,700 positions for the festive season.

About 11,500 of these positions will be in customer service roles at John Lewis and Waitrose stores.

Additionally, 3,000 positions will be in prestigious stores, with 8,500 in Waitrose supermarkets and another 2,200 in warehouses and delivery centers.

Management is confident that the additional staff will help handle the high demand during the run-up to Christmas and January sales, known as the 'golden quarter'.

This decision has been made possible by significant investments in the stores, including £800 million spent on refreshing John Lewis stores, opening new Waitrose supermarkets, and upgrading beauty halls.

Recently, John Lewis received a Which? award for 'Retailer of the Year', while Waitrose won The Grocer Awards for service quality and product range, including 20 'store of the week' awards throughout the year.

“Seasonal employees make a huge difference during Christmas. Whether it's helping to choose the perfect gift or pulling together the centerpiece for Christmas dinner, our teams are always ready to spread festive magic,” said Joe Rackham, head of recruitment.

During the festive season, John Lewis expects over 30 million people to visit their stores, as well as more than 180 million online visits.

In the week leading up to Christmas Day in December, Waitrose employees plan to process eight million units of stock to ensure shelves remain stocked.

The vacancies offer flexible hours, competitive pay, training, and opportunities for hybrid work.

Applications can be submitted at jlpjobs.com/Christmas, where all details are available.

“Recruitment for our Christmas roles will begin soon. Sign up to receive vacancy notifications and be the first to apply,” the announcement stated.

“Jobs for John Lewis will be advertised from September 10. Vacancies for Waitrose will be promoted from the end of September to November.”

Furthermore, Waitrose recently announced the implementation of significant changes in its stores.

The supermarket is testing large-capacity trolleys with artificial intelligence technology that automatically scans products during shopping.

These 'smart' trolleys operate on a 'scan, pay, and go' principle. Shoppers can take them at the entrance by scanning their loyalty card and entering payment details before they start shopping.

Each trolley is equipped with cameras and a built-in scanner that recognizes all products placed in or taken out of the basket.

A tablet-style display shows a running shopping list and expenses in real time, helping shoppers keep track of their spending.

After finishing shopping, customers can pay directly through the trolley, avoiding checkout lines.

This technology is currently being tested at the Waitrose store in Bracknell, Birmingham, and holds potential for broader use in the future.

John Lewis and Partners have launched the largest seasonal staff recruitment campaign in history.

This year promises to be particularly busy for retailers due to increased demand for holiday shopping. Investments and new technology are aimed at ensuring high levels of service and customer satisfaction. This is a key component of a strategy designed to not only handle the influx of shoppers but also enhance their in-store experience.