23 October 2023 , 14:58
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Bargain retailer Poundland has confirmed it will hire a further 1,200 staff to work in stores across the UK and Ireland this festive season.
The company confirmed it plans to take on the workers in temporary roles in the run-up to Christmas, but while the majority of these shop-floor roles will end on Christmas Eve, some will also be extended until early January.
And the welcome news on jobs was further boosted by Poundland's announcement that in just four short weeks the retailer has opened 37 new stores at former Wilko locations where priority will be given to their colleagues for roles.
Poundland is to take on staff for the festive season (Bloomberg via Getty Images)And today, the firm confirmed it would also be closing its stores on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day so colleagues could get a well-deserved break. Simon Wells, people director at Poundland said the additional colleagues would help ensure the stores provided high-quality service throughout the festive season.
He said: “We can’t wait to welcome our new seasonal colleagues to the Poundland team – we know too from experience that many also find permanent roles with us once the festivities are over.
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“What’s more we really appreciate how hard our colleagues work during the year and closing the stores on these additional days over Christmas and New Year is our way of saying thank you to them – not least because this quarter has been especially busy with new store openings. Their efforts are appreciated and we hope they enjoy a well-earned break with family and friends over the festive period.”
Since opening its first store in Burton-upon-Trent in 1990, Poundland has built a network of more than 800 stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, offering top brands and quality own-brand products that provide customers with amazing value every day. Customers can check their local store opening times over the Christmas period on the Poundland website.
The company now employs around 18,000 colleagues who serve up to seven million customers every week across the British Isles, from Aberdeen to Abingdon, Londonderry to Llandudno and Peterborough to Poole.