Sainsbury’s has created 12,000 seasonal roles and says it has “supercharged" its digital offer.

The extra staff - almost double the number recruited last year - will join Sainsbury’s supermarkets and help fulfil online grocery orders, from picking and packing products in store to driving deliveries to homes.

Sainsbury’s Christmas store staff will receive £9.30 per hour, the “highest rate of pay of the major supermarkets”, said the firm. Those working in Greater London will receive £9.55 per hour and the ones in Zones 1 and 2 of London will receive £9.90 per hour.

The firm is also offering extra hours to existing staff who may want extra work in the run up to Christmas.

Sainsbury's says it is set to hire a total of 75,000 people by March 2021, including creating 6,000 permanent roles, the majority of which will support the growth of its Groceries Online business.

To help customers “shop safely, swiftly and spend less time in stores”, Sainsbury’s has rolled out its SmartShop app to over 1,100 stores.

This roll-out includes all supermarkets and over 500 convenience stores offering SmartShop Mobile Pay, enabling till-free and contactless shopping.

The supermarket says it will fulfil over 750,000 online grocery orders a week this December, either by delivering to customers’ doors or through Click & Collect.

Clo Moriarty, Sainsbury’s retail and digital director, said: “This Christmas will be like no other and the way customers want to shop for their celebrations has changed completely.

“To help them find everything they need and shop how they want, we’re recruiting thousands more Christmas colleagues than in previous years.”

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