MORE than 75 people have secured temporary jobs at at Church Square Shopping Centre as stores seek to meet the Christmas rush.

An upturn in trade has led to the recruitment and with many are likely to kept on for the January sales.

Newly opened Costa Coffee has created a further 10 permanent jobs, with centre bosses hopeful that the New Year will bring more well-known shopping brands to St Helens. 

Jewellers H Samuel in the Church Square Shopping Centre have been swelling the ranks in the build up to Christmas, taking on nine new employees.

Store manager Andrea Sumner said: “The temporary workers are absolutely key to our business at this time of year.

“We take on about seven most years but this year we’ve had a couple of leavers too so we have nine new starters. Often we have the same people coming back every year if they are students and it’s absolutely vital to us as it is by far our busiest time.

“It’s nice to be able to do that too, to give a bit more work out to those that need it locally.”
Over at River Island in the mall, seven new members of staff have already been signed up and another recruitment evening is planned soon to grow the workforce more before Christmas itself.

Lee Kinsey from menswear said: “We’ve taken seven on already but we will be looking for more. Probably at least 10 in total but we’ll have to see how it goes.

“It’s essential for us but it’s also nice to be able to give extra work to local people, a lot of whom are students and really need the jobs at this time of year.”

Church Square Shopping Centre manager Steven Brogan said: “I’m trying to get to meet all the new seasonal staff taken on by our stores – the centre already employs around 300 people and so is a big economic force in St Helens.

“The past few months have been very positive."