Festive Lights is hiring for 54 temporary posts as the Christmas peak is set to shift into top gear.
Seasonal recruitment at the Chorley-headquartered lighting e-tailer has reached an all-time high this year, with the company more than doubling its workforce by bringing in additional staff across its warehousing, returns, aftersales and retail outlet teams to help cope with customer demand.
Christmas is big business for Festive Lights, with the family-run firm picking, packing and delivering 88,000 parcels during the last holiday season – a figure which it sets to double this year.
To guarantee stock holding capacity, the company has also invested in a 25,000 sq ft extension to its warehouse operation onHillridge Road in Wigan. Currently under construction by Wareing Buildings, the 48,000 sq ft double height space, will provide 3,500 pallet spaces, triple to what it had previously, and features a new state-of-the-art conveyor belt to streamline the packaging process by reducing the time it takes to process and despatch customers’ orders.
Stephen Alty, general manager at Festive Lights, said, “Christmas is our busiest time of the year and each year we make a substantial financial commitment in additional resources to handle the surge in demand for our products.
“Seasonal staff play an integral role in helping us to deliver an exceptional experience for our customers during an incredibly busy time, with those who excel often transitioning into full-time, permanent positions.
Head of sales, Shane Mead, began his career with Festive Lights as on a 3 month internship, before rejoining the firm as an eBay coordinator in 2013, where he rose through the ranks to his current position.
He said: “Working here during my internship helped to develop my skills within a sales environment. Accepting a permanent position at Festive Lights was an easy decision, as I knew I would be encouraged to learn and be given the opportunity to progress within the business.
Festive Lights has worked hard to expand into more decorative, year-round lighting markets this year and capitalise on key interior trends; something which saw the firm crowned ‘Small Business of the Year’ at the Be Inspired Business Awards (BIBAs) 2016.
Distributing to more than 30 countries, the lighting specialist also supplies a number of well-known retail, hotel and leisure operations, such as Chester Zoo, Hollister, Pitcher & Piano, The Ritz and Holiday Inn.
Stephen concludes: “Winning at the BIBAs really was the cherry on top of a great year and we couldn’t have done it without our fantastic team. We excel in employee encouragement and development which, in turn, results in a five-star service for our customers.”
