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Seasonal work11 min read · 28 September 202612 reads

Christmas retail jobs 2026: who's hiring and how to get one

Which UK retailers are hiring for Christmas 2026, what they pay, when to apply, your rights as a temp, and how to turn a seasonal job into a permanent one.

By UK Retail Jobs editorial team — We write plain-English guides to finding and doing retail work in the UK. Every figure is checked against a named source.

A young shop worker in a plain green fleece holds a festive biscuit tin in a UK supermarket aisle lit with fairy lights and a Christmas tree.

Big UK retailers take on tens of thousands of temporary staff every Christmas. The best time to apply is now: most retailers announce their Christmas hiring in September and October, and the first starters begin in October. This guide covers who is hiring for Christmas 2026, what the jobs pay, when to apply, your rights as a temp, and how to turn a Christmas job into a permanent one.

We update this guide as more retailers announce their plans. Every figure below says when and where it comes from.

Who is hiring for Christmas 2026?

When we checked on 28 September 2026, three retailers had announced how many Christmas staff they plan to hire this year.

RetailerChristmas 2026 rolesPay they publishedWhere to apply
John Lewis Partnership (Waitrose and John Lewis)Over 10,400£13.00 an hour, rising to £13.25 after 30 days (London £14.55, rising to £14.80)jlpjobs.com/Christmas
CurrysAbout 1,000 across 296 stores in the UK and Ireland£12.71 an hour in the UK (London £13.96)curryscareers.co.uk
The Perfume ShopAbout 800 sales roles (reported by Retail Gazette)Not publishedThe Perfume Shop careers site

The John Lewis Partnership says about 6,000 of its roles are in Waitrose branches, 2,600 in John Lewis shops and 1,800 in its distribution and supply chain. Currys says its first seasonal starters join on 11 October 2026 and its contracts run until 2 January 2027.

Other big retailers are hiring too, even if they have not announced a total yet. When we checked, Tesco's careers site said its 2026 festive jobs had started to open. You can see the Christmas and temporary jobs we list in one place on our Christmas jobs search.

Who hired last Christmas?

Most big retailers had not announced their 2026 plans when we checked. Last year's announcements give you a good idea of who hires the most people and what kind of work they offer. These are 2025 figures, not 2026 ones.

RetailerChristmas 2025 rolesWhat the roles were
TescoOver 28,500Serving customers, filling shelves and picking online orders, on early, day or evening shifts
Sainsbury's and Argos19,000 (17,000 Sainsbury's, 2,000 Argos)Shelves, tills, home delivery and warehouse work, on contracts of 4 to 12 weeks
BootsOver 6,000Store, online order, warehouse and customer service roles
Aldi4,500 (reported by The Grocer)Store assistants, cleaners and managers

Last year, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Boots and Tesco all announced their Christmas hiring between 1 and 17 October 2025. If they follow the same pattern, expect their 2026 numbers in October. Do not wait for the announcement, though. Jobs often go live on careers sites before the press release.

Is it harder to get a Christmas job this year?

It may be. The KPMG and REC Report on Jobs for September 2026 found that demand for permanent staff fell fastest in retail and in hotels and catering in August. Demand for short-term staff fell faster only in hotels and catering. The John Lewis Partnership plans over 10,400 Christmas roles, down from 13,700 last year (reported by Retail Gazette).

That does not mean there are no jobs. It means the jobs that do exist may fill faster. Apply early, apply to more than one retailer, and be as flexible as you can about hours.

What kind of Christmas jobs are there?

Christmas jobs in retail are not all on the shop floor. The main types are:

  • Customer and sales assistants. Serving customers, working the tills, filling shelves and keeping the shop tidy. This is the biggest group of roles.
  • Night and early-morning shifts. Unloading deliveries and filling shelves before the shop opens. Read more in our night shift jobs search.
  • Online order pickers. Picking and packing groceries or products for home delivery and click and collect.
  • Warehouse and distribution. Working in a retailer's warehouse or distribution centre, often on longer shifts.
  • Delivery drivers. Driving home delivery vans. You will usually need a full driving licence, and some retailers ask for more.

Many Christmas contracts are part-time. Some roles, especially warehouse and night work, offer more hours.

A night-shift worker in a navy jacket and work gloves stands beside a roll cage of boxes in an empty supermarket aisle before opening.
Night and early-morning shifts fill the shelves before the doors open, and they often come with more hours.

How much do Christmas retail jobs pay?

The law sets the lowest hourly pay you can get. From 1 April 2026, the legal minimum rates are:

Your ageMinimum hourly pay from 1 April 2026
21 and over (National Living Wage)£12.71
18 to 20£10.85
16 to 17£8.00
Apprentices under 19, or in the first year of an apprenticeship£8.00

Temporary staff must get at least these rates, the same as permanent staff. Some retailers pay more, such as the John Lewis Partnership, and some pay extra in London. Always check the pay on the job advert before you apply, because it can change.

When should you apply?

Apply in September or October if you can. Here is a rough timeline, based on what retailers have said about their own Christmas jobs:

  1. September to October: retailers open their Christmas jobs and announce how many people they need.
  2. October to November: interviews happen and the first starters begin. Currys' first seasonal staff start on 11 October 2026.
  3. Late November to Christmas Eve: the busiest weeks. Expect to work weekends and some long days.
  4. Christmas Eve to early January: most contracts end. Some run to Christmas Eve, and others into the January sales.

Some retailers ask that you are free for set dates, such as the two weeks before Christmas. Check the advert and only apply if you can work those dates.

How to get a Christmas job

Show that you are available

For a Christmas job, being available matters as much as experience. Retailers need people who can work the busy days. On your application, say clearly which days and times you can work. Weekends, evenings and the week before Christmas are the most useful.

A teenage student holding his phone at a kitchen table on an autumn evening looks up with a hopeful smile, a mug of tea beside him.
Say clearly which days and hours you can work. For a Christmas job, being available matters as much as experience.

Apply on the retailer's own website

Big retailers post their Christmas jobs on their own careers sites. Search for "Christmas", "festive", "seasonal" or "temporary" on the site. Set up job alerts if the site offers them, so you hear about new jobs as they go live.

Keep your CV short and clear

A one-page CV is enough. Put your contact details, the hours you can work, any work experience (including volunteering and school jobs), and one or two lines about why you would be good with customers. You do not need retail experience for most Christmas jobs.

Get ready for a short interview

Many Christmas interviews are short, and some happen by phone or video, or as a group session. Expect questions such as:

  • Why do you want to work here this Christmas?
  • Tell us about a time you helped someone or worked in a team.
  • How would you handle a customer who is upset?
  • Which days and hours can you work?

Answer with a real example if you can. Say what happened, what you did, and how it turned out.

Your rights as a Christmas temp

A temporary job still comes with rights. The main ones are below. They depend on your contract, so read it carefully.

  • Minimum wage. You must get at least the legal minimum rate for your age.
  • Holiday. You build up paid holiday even on a short contract. If you work irregular hours, such as a zero-hours contract, ACAS says holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours you work.
  • Sick pay. Since 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is paid from your first day off sick, and there is no longer a minimum earnings level. That means low-hours temps can now qualify.
  • Fixed-term contracts. If you are an employee on a fixed-term contract, you should not be treated less favourably than permanent staff doing the same or largely the same job, unless your employer has a good business reason. Your employer must tell you about permanent jobs that come up. Your contract usually ends on its end date without any notice. If your employer ends it early, you are owed at least one week's notice once you have worked there for a month.
  • Zero-hours contracts. Your employer cannot enforce a clause that stops you working for another employer as well. The law is changing to give zero-hours workers more rights, such as reasonable notice of shifts. GOV.UK expects those changes in 2027, but the exact date is not yet set.

If you are not sure what your contract means, ACAS gives free, confidential advice.

Can a Christmas job turn into a permanent one?

It can. Retailers use Christmas to find good staff, and some keep temps on in the new year. Currys says 49% of its seasonal staff last year were offered a permanent role. To give yourself the best chance:

  • Turn up on time for every shift, and be willing to cover extra shifts when you can.
  • Tell your manager early, before December ends, that you would like to stay.
  • Ask your manager what they look for in someone they keep on.
  • Keep an eye on permanent jobs at the same retailer. If you are on a fixed-term contract, your employer has to tell you about them.
A smiling store manager stands beside a young seasonal worker in a quiet clothing shop in January.
Tell your manager early that you would like to stay. Retailers use Christmas to find staff they want to keep.

Even if you are not kept on, a Christmas job gives you recent retail experience and, often, a reference. Both help your next application.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need experience for a Christmas retail job?

Usually not. Most Christmas roles are entry-level, and retailers train you. Being friendly, reliable and available on busy days matters more.

How many hours will I work?

It depends on the job. Many shop-floor roles are part-time, with more hours in December. Night, warehouse and distribution roles often offer more hours each week. The hours are stated on the advert.

Can I get a Christmas job at 16?

It depends on the retailer and the role. The advert or careers site says the minimum age. If you are 16 or 17, the legal minimum pay is £8.00 an hour.

Is it too late to apply in November?

Not always. Some jobs are still advertised in November. But many roles fill before then, so the earlier you apply, the more choice you have.

Find Christmas jobs near you

We collect retail jobs from retailers' careers sites and job boards, so you can search them in one place. Try our Christmas jobs search or our temporary jobs search, or look at part-time retail jobs if you want to keep working after Christmas. Our membership adds job alerts and a tracker for your applications. You can read how we check our facts in our editorial policy.

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information, not legal or careers advice. Check the retailer's advert and the official source before you act. Looking for a role? Browse retail jobs.

Where to look next

Vacancies on this topic

Customer assistant jobsRetail supervisor jobsStore manager jobsPermanent retail jobsFixed term retail jobs

Last reviewed 28 September 2026.

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