John Lewis hiring over 2,000 temporary sales assistants in the UK this Christmas

With fewer than 100 shopping days to go until Christmas Day, applications are open for roles at John Lewis shops across the country, from Scotland to Exeter. Positions are available in a number of departments including the Christmas shop, furnishing accessories, homeware, fashion and electricals.

The retailer is also on the hunt for a number of temporary Partners to work in its Distribution Centres, where over 80,000 orders are expected to be processed each day in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The 24 sites, including John Lewis’s 650,000 sq ft flagship Magna Park warehouse in Milton Keynes, process orders for both its online business and its 39 shops.

Furthermore, there are temporary operator positions available at John Lewis’s customer call centres. These Partners will play a vital role in advising customers on everything from stock availability to delivery options over the Christmas shopping period.

Laura Whyte, Personnel Director, John Lewis said: “Christmas is an extremely important and busy time of the year for the business and it is essential that we have a strong and committed workforce in place early. We’re not only looking for people who can provide excellent levels of customer service in our shops and call centres, but also for individuals who understand the important role that our distribution centres play in making sure the Christmas shopping experience is as smooth as possible for customers.”

John Lewis’s Operations Director, Dino Rocos, originally joined the business as a Christmas temp over 30 years ago. He said: “After finishing school I was looking for a job to earn money so I could travel the world and successfully applied for a sales assistant role at the Peter Jones shop over the festive period. However, I really enjoyed the experience and when a permanent position became available I decided retail was a career I wanted to pursue. Over the years I’ve had fantastic support from the business, and via John Lewis’s training initiatives, in developing my skills which has enabled me to move up the career ladder. When I started as a Christmas temp I would never have believed that 30 years down the line I would be on the John Lewis management board and be responsible for the distribution and merchandising functions of the entire business.”

The John Lewis recruitment team is committed to training all Christmas temporary staff to achieve the highest level of customer service and build upon John Lewis’s established reputation as one of Britain’s favourite retailers.

Those interested in applying should visit www.jlpjobs.com to search for available positions