Leeds-based supermarket giant Asda has stepped up its Christmas preparations by announcing plans to recruit 15,000 temporary staff and confirming the dates its festive home delivery slots go live.

The supermarket is recruiting seasonal workers to fulfil a variety of different roles including serving customers, replenishing shelves, picking, packing and delivering online orders.

Around 500 roles are based in Asda’s depots, 1,500 are home delivery driver positions, with the remainder being store-based roles across the UK.

“There will be opportunities for some of the seasonal colleagues recruited to remain with Asda into the New Year to cover permanent colleagues who take holidays after the busy Christmas period,” said the Leeds company.

Asda also confirmed that its Christmas home delivery slots would go live to Delivery Pass customers on October 19 and to all other customers on October 28.

“Since the start of the pandemic, Asda has more than doubled the capacity of its online delivery service and will have 900k home delivery and Click & Collect slots available the week before Christmas,” said the firm.

Hayley Tatum, Chief People Officer at Asda, said: “We will do all we can to make sure customers have a fantastic Christmas and recruiting an extra 15,000 colleagues across our stores, depots and home delivery service will help us to provide them with great products and excellent service when they shop with us during the festive season.”

More information on the roles available and details of how to apply are available on Asda’s careers website https://www.asda.jobs/

Blackburn-based billionaires the Issa brothers and private equity firm TDR Capital completed the £6.8 billion acquisition of a majority ownership stake in Asda from Walmart Inc. earlier this year.

Walmart retains an equity investment in Asda, with an ongoing commercial relationship and a seat on the board.

The Issa brothers made their fortune building up fuel retailer EG Group.