John Lewis Partnership said it will recruit more than 10,000 staff for Christmas, but they will have to feed themselves.
Traditionally, seasonal staff at John Lewis department stores and Waitrose got free Sunday roasts and cooked breakfasts or packed lunches at places without kitchens, but that perk has gone in the latest round of cost-cutting, according to The Telegraph.
Sharon White, the boss of the struggling staff-owned retailer, said the group has to save another £600 million on top of £300 million already cut from overheads since 2021.
The business has also started to build flats on top of its stores to boost revenues.
In a statement, JLP said 8,400 of the seasonal roles would be temps in areas such as sales, merchandising, night shift workers and customer delivery drivers.
In addition to these seasonal jobs, JLP is taking on 1,700 permanent positions across both Waitrose and John Lewis in a variety of areas.
Lisa Cherry, executive director for people at JLP, said: "We're hugely proud of the way our two brands have become part of the excitement that surrounds Christmas and this is a great opportunity to be at the heart of that at such a special time.
"Our customers are at the forefront of everything we do; we want to deliver a great festive season for them with inspirational products and the very best customer service courtesy of our brilliant partners."