John Lewis set to hire 13,700 Christmas staff in major recruitment drive ahead of busy shopping season

The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) is hiring for 13,700 Christmas roles in its biggest ever recruitment drive as it prepares for the busy shopping season.

The retail group, which incorporates John Lewis department stores and the Waitrose chain, said it was investing to meet the expected surge in demand from consumers.

The seasonal roles will include 3,000 across 35 John Lewis stores, 8,500 within Waitrose shops and nearly 2,200 across its warehouses and supply chain network.

Every year, JLP recruits for temporary shop workers and logistics staff for the so-called “golden quarter” – the final three months of the year – and January sales period.

The British retailer said it was expecting some 30 million visitors to John Lewis shops during that time, while its warehouses are set to dispatch more than two deliveries each second.

Jo Rackham, JLP’s chief people officer, 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 for a loved one, 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.”

JLP’s roughly 70,000 workers are known as “partners” due to its employee-owned stricture, whereby they share in the profits of the business and can have a say in how it is run.

However, workers have missed out on an annual bonus for the third year in a row.

Chairman Jason Tarry said earlier this year that he was “determined” to reinstate the bonus payments for staff when the retailer is in a position to do so.