Discounter Aldi has laid out plans to recruit thousands of additional workers for the busy festive period.
Some 3,500 roles will be added as the supermarket braces for the seasonal uplift in demand, including in-store jobs and managerial positions.
Rivals have also moved to ramp up recruitment ahead of the Christmas months, with Waitrose planning to add 11,000 roles and J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY) offering 20,000 jobs.
Aldi said pay for in-store roles would start at £12.40 an hour outside of London, stretching to £13.65 for those in and around the capital.
“Our mission is to make affordable, high-quality food accessible to everyone, and that is even more important at this time of year,” Aldi UK recruitment director Kelly Stokes said.
“Our colleagues are essential to ensuring Aldi shoppers have a great experience in store.”
She confirmed Aldi would close its stores on Boxing Day too, with the recruitment drive also coinciding with the supermarket’s plans to open 17 new stores by the end of the year.