// Waitrose to go on hiring spree to keep up to pace with Christmas demand
// At least 1850 new order pickers & delivery drivers will join the grocer at beginning of next month
// The jobs are a combination of temporary and permanent new roles
Waitrose is set to hire as many as 1850 new order pickers and delivery drivers in an effort to meet the online sales demand in the run up to Christmas.
The upmarket grocer said the new staff would be a combination of temporary and permanent new roles and will be recruited across Waitrose stores and fulfilment centres in Enfield and Coulsdon.
The new jobs are expected to commence at the beginning of November and continue throughout December as Waitrose prepares for the crucial Christmas trading period.
READ MORE: Waitrose and the Co-op lower prices in run up to Christmas
“This year our online shopping operation has more than trebled and we know that the demand for our Waitrose.com service will continue throughout the festive season,” Waitrose online director Laura Burbedge said.
“Our customers are planning ahead and adding Christmas items to their online baskets, with seasonal products on Waitrose.com up 250 per cent so far in comparison with last year and turkey orders up by 280 per cent.
“These additional Waitrose.com drivers and pickers will allow us to better support our customers over the Christmas period with their online grocery orders.”
Waitrose said it has more than doubled the number of online slots to around 190,000 per week and recruited 1800 additional pickers and drivers since the beginning of the year.
The retailer also recently announced an expansion of its pilot partnership with takeaway service Deliveroo, which now services more than three million customers from 30 stores across the UK.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
