SIX hundred temporary workers will be recruited in the North-East by retailer Boots as part of a wider campaign that will include desk-bound staff returning to the shop floor.
The chain is taking on a total of 5,000 staff nationwide in time for the Christmas rush.
The group plans to invite all of its 3,000 head office workers to help out during the festive season.
The extra 5,000 positions will be for the Christmas period only and are spread across the country.
About 600 head office workers helped in shops last Christmas, with most spending two or three days in an outlet each week.
Boots chief operating officer David Kneale said: "Christmas is a lively time in stores, and in recent years we have found that people who have gone back to the floor have not only helped out, but learned a great deal."
The company, which expects to start stocking Christmas ranges within the next two weeks, employs 47,000 staff in the UK in its 1,400 stores.
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