Iceland hires 1,800 seasonal delivery staff for Christmas

Frozen-food retailer Iceland has opened 1,800 seasonal jobs across the United Kingdom as it prepares to meet increased demand for Christmas food and home deliveries. The roles, available now through the retailer’s careers portal, include delivery drivers and retail assistants on fixed-term contracts, with both full-time and part-time vacancies to be filled by Friday, November 28 ahead of training and the busy December period.

Iceland said the recruitment drive responds to a spike in shopper demand for Christmas dinners and party supplies and anticipates a heavy delivery workload this holiday season. The company estimates its delivery teams will climb millions of stairs in December while carrying orders to customers in flats and houses across the country. To prepare staff, Iceland has opened a 24-hour depot gym at its distribution centres equipped with Stairmasters, leg presses and practice shopping bags filled with festive products, intended to simulate lifting and carrying during rounds.

Paul Dhaliwal, Iceland’s chief commercial officer, said, "Our drivers are the unsung heroes of Christmas. They don't just go the extra mile they go the extra flight, ensuring our customers get...