WAITROSE PARTNERS IN SCOTLAND BREAK THROUGH 1,000
Who says there’s no hope for upmarket food stores in poverty-riven, food bank Scotland with no-one wanting to work in supermarkets?
Waitrose, the high-end food store wing of department store giant John Lewis, has just recruited 150 new Partners with recruitment for the new branch in Milngavie now complete.
More than 1,900 applications were received for jobs at Waitrose Milngavie, the highest number ever for a new Scottish branch.
It’s the supermarket’s seventh branch in Scotland and brings the number of Scottish Waitrose Partners to more than 1,000.
Vacancies were a mix of full-time and part-time positions and ranged from food service assistants to customer service and administration assistants.
The new Partners will receive training in venues in Waitrose’s branches on Byres Road, in Stirling and in Newton Mearns.
DAVID SHARP, branch manager for Waitrose Milngavie, said: “We had an incredible response to our recruitment drive in Milngavie and the calibre of the applicants was outstanding.
“We’ve adapted how we recruit for this branch, to reflect the demand for more full-time positions in the local area.
“Waitrose is employee-owned, which means that all of our new Partners will have a say in how the business is run, and access to all the benefits that come with working in the John Lewis Partnership.
“Each year our Partners will receive their share of our profits through the bonus scheme – meaning that a substantial proportion of Waitrose Milngavie’s profits will stay in the local community.”
Waitrose Partners receive a range of benefits. In 2014/15, each Partner received a bonus of 11%, which equated to six weeks additional pay. After three months, each Partner will be entitled to a discount on shopping in John Lewis and Waitrose.
Waitrose Milngavie will open at 8am on Thursday 11 June. Waitrose already has two branches in Edinburgh (Comely Bank and Morningside), one in Glasgow (Byres Road) and in Newton Mearns, Helensburgh and Stirling.
Meanwhile aspirational Corstorphine in Edinburgh holds its breath for a transformational Waitrose store coming soon.
