Marks & Spencer has announced it will be recruiting 10,000 new Customer Assistants to support in its stores over the festive period with these additional hires reflecting the retailer’s ongoing focus on delivering exceptional customer service.

The number of vacancies is a more than 40 per cent increase on last year and reflects the additional investment M&S is making in colleague hours to support customers on the shop floor.

A Customer Assistant at M&S is the face of the business and is responsible for delivering a great shopping experience for customers and championing and promoting products. From serving customers on the shop floor and at service points, ensuring the shelves and rails are always stocked with product to engaging with customers to understand their needs and make recommendations; a Customer Assistant role is varied and wide-ranging.

Christmas colleagues also play in integral role in delivering M&S’ Christmas Food to Order service, ensuring millions of customers get their all-important festival essentials and treats on time.

The new colleagues will join M&S from 19th November - with a range of start dates, variety of roles and flexible working patterns available. Colleagues will also enjoy a range of benefits, including 20 per cent colleague discount from day one.

Sacha Berendji, Operations Director at M&S, said: “Our fantastic store colleagues play such a big part in delivering the magic of M&S at Christmas to our customers. And this year we’re recruiting even more colleagues to ensure there’s always someone on hand to offer support and recommendations."

“The Christmas period is a busy but exciting time for M&S and no two days are the same – in fact, many colleagues started their M&S careers at Christmas and have since gone onto progress across the business. With a range of roles and flexible working patterns available, anyone who is interested in being part of something special this Christmas should visit our careers website to apply.”

The Customer Service Assistant roles will span both Foods and Clothing & Home and are located all over the UK, with vacancies in every store.

To apply, applicants should visit the recruitment page on the M&S website here where roles are now live and new vacancies being added all the time.