Domino’s seeks 8,000 drivers before Christmas rush

Domino's Pizza says it intends to hire more than 8,000 drivers in the UK and Ireland in the run-up to Christmas.

The fast-food chain has already recruited thousands of workers in the past year or so to keep up with demand.

The latest move comes as a nationwide shortage of goods vehicle drivers continues to plague the UK economy.

Domino's said it offered good long-term prospects, as more than 90% of store managers had started in the kitchen or as delivery drivers.

It also stressed that most of the jobs on offer were permanent and not just for Christmas.

However, it may still have a struggle recruiting the workers it needs, according to analysis by job site Indeed.

At the start of this month, the share of searches being made for seasonal roles by jobseekers was 27% lower than in the same period in 2019 and down 33% on its 2018 level.

In June, Domino's said it was hiring 5,000 cooks and delivery drivers, as staff who joined during the pandemic headed back to former roles after Covid restrictions eased.

Domino's operations director Nicola Frampton said 2021 had been a busy year for the firm so far, but the busiest period was "just around the corner".

"Our delivery drivers are vital to the service we provide our customers and the success of our business, so we're really keen to hear from those wanting to join."

At the same time, Domino's said sales in the 13 weeks to 26 September were up 8.8% on a like-for-like basis to £375.8m.

Orders collected from stores rose 40.3% and are now at 82% of pre-pandemic levels.

The chain said it was still on target to open 30 new stores this year, having opened five in the latest trading period.

The company said it sold seven pizzas each second over the 13 weeks, with online orders peaking at 13 a second on 3 July during England's match against Ukraine in the Euro 2020 football tournament.

But it also warned that supply chain problems and rising staff wages were starting to have an effect.

"We have seen some impact from the well-publicised pressures on labour availability and food cost inflation, which we expect to extend into next year, but continue to take proactive, preventative measures to ensure our world-class supply chain service levels are maintained and that cost increases are constrained."