Bricks and mortar retailers begin hiring spree as lockdown measures ease
High street retailers are hiring in earnest as non-essential stores prepare to reopen in England and Wales, according to research by job site Indeed.
Retail vacancies have climbed to within 14% of their pre-pandemic levels, and are outperforming the labour market as a whole, re-energised by the announcement in February of routes out of lockdown for all parts of the UK.
While recruitment by supermarkets has held up well throughout the pandemic, Indeed’s analysis of hiring by non-food retailers reveals they are now also enjoying a renaissance.
A ranking of the 10 non-food stores posting the most new jobs since February is dominated by DIY outlets, which have been allowed to remain open during lockdown and benefitted from a boom in demand for home improvements.
However, Primark has also ramped up its hiring efforts, breaking into the top five alongside Clarks, which has more than 300 high street stores across the UK. Both are set to reopen fully as restrictions on non-essential retailers are eased this month.
In a sign that retailers expect high levels of online shopping to be a permanent fixture, postings for loading, stocking and driving jobs now exceed their pre-pandemic levels.
Jack Kennedy, UK Economist at Indeed, comments: “The news that retail employers are at last hiring at close to their pre-Covid pace will be music to the ears of the thousands of jobseekers who have struggled for over a year to find work in hard hit sectors like retail and hospitality.”
“We can expect to see shoppers flocking back to the high street in the coming weeks as they experiment with browsing in a physical shop for the first time in months, providing a much-needed boost to the economy.”
He concludes: “The continued increase in driving roles, however, hints at how the UK’s multiple lockdowns have transformed retail for good.”
“Online shopping has boomed during the pandemic, and retailers’ high demand for delivery drivers and loaders suggests many expect the trend to continue even after high street stores reopen.”
