UK Retail Giant Tesco Hires 16,000 Amid 'COVID-19' Boom

Online Orders Increased 2.5 Times Since COVID-19 Pandemic
All 16,000 New Hires Are Full-Time Employees

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Tesco, a major supermarket chain in the UK, will hire more than 16,000 full-time employees to respond to the increased online demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to CNN Business on the 24th (local time), Tesco announced in a statement that it will hire an additional 16,000 employees following the 4,000 staff hired during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The previously hired 4,000 employees were temporary staff who are prioritized for conversion to full-time positions.

The newly hired employees will be assigned to handle the growing online demand by packing ordered products, delivery, and working in logistics centers.

Tesco's online sales performance has been steadily growing. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the online segment accounted for about 9% of Tesco's total sales, but it is now known to exceed 16%.

Additionally, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 600,000 people used Tesco's online ordering service weekly, but now approximately 1.5 million people purchase groceries online during the same period.

Accordingly, Tesco's online sales this year are expected to increase by more than 60% compared to the previous year, reaching 5.5 billion pounds (approximately 8.5 trillion won).

According to market research firm Kantar, the UK retail market grew sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the online retail market share reaching 13.5% over about 12 weeks from May to August 9.

Jason Tarry, CEO of Tesco UK, stated, "The newly recruited employees will meet the long-term online demand."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.