Trading Assistant - Local in Colchester

Working in our stores this Christmas: Could you be one of our Christmas champions this year? Whether you’re a Gravy Guardian, or a Roastie Rockstar, pour your energy into this season and help us create the best Christmas possible for our customers. Our stores are fast‑paced environments where no two days are ever the same, especially during our busiest and most magical time of the year. They are at the heart of the local community providing outstanding value, quality and great service. As one of our Trading Assistants, you’ll be one of our Christmas Champions ensuring our stores are set up brilliantly to give our customers everything they come to Sainsbury’s for.

Eligibility: The minimum application age for this role is 18, due to the working hours and of goods (alcohol, tobacco etc) that you may be required to handle. You must have Right to Work eligibility in the UK.

Hours: Sunday 15:00-23:00, Friday 15:00-23:00

What you’ll be doing:

• Working as part of a small team to ensure that all aspects of the store are ready for our customers to provide a convenient and speedy shopping experience.
• Collecting stock from the warehouse using heavy roll cages (up to 15 kg) to replenish shelves across the store, serving customers on checkouts, supporting with deliveries and keeping the store well‑presented, clean and tidy.
• Picking and selecting the best quality products on the shop floor for customers using our On‑demand grocery ordering service and assisting customers with Click & Collect.
• Always ready to serve our customers brilliantly, supporting with any questions, and proactively offering help.
• Build great knowledge about our products, services and promotions to help provide recommendations.
• Date checking fresh produce and grocery products.

What makes a great Sainsbury’s Colleague:

• Friendly and welcoming with a genuine enthusiasm for helping customers.
• Happy working in a fast‑paced, physical and high‑energy environment, and thrives in being part of a team.
• Takes responsibility for owning tasks and uses initiative to solve problems.
• Always prepared to work flexibly and productively to a high standard across the store – you’ll be fully trained in a variety of skills, so you have opportunities to learn, develop and try new things.
• Comfortable in learning to use new digital tools and technology to do your job brilliantly.
• Has great attention to detail, keeping the store clean and clutter‑free, always looking to create the best shopping experience for our customers.

Working for us has great rewards:

• Discount card – 10% off at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu and Habitat after four weeks, increasing to 15% discount at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday, and 15% off at Argos every payday.
• Free food and hot drinks – provided for colleagues in all our stores.
• Generous holiday entitlement – based on the hours you work, plus maternity and paternity leave.
• Pension – we’ll match between 4–7.5% of your pension contributions.
• Sainsbury’s share schemes – buy Sainsbury’s shares at discounted prices.
• Shopping discounts – special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more.
• Wellbeing support – including free access to our Employee Assistance Programme which is a confidential service providing support and guidance on a wide range of issues.

Whilst many of our roles will be temporary over the festive period, there may also be permanent opportunities available – please check the contract type and schedule hours before applying to ensure that the role is right for you. As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident Leader, all candidates will have the opportunity to be offered an interview through our online assessment which will prioritise those candidates who achieve the highest score and therefore most closely match the essential criteria for the role. Should you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview stages, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.

An inclusive place to work and shop: We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can achieve their full potential, and every customer feels welcome when they shop with us. To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range of enhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We provide our colleagues resources to help them understand and support their role and their team effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek to ensure true representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our colleagues may face. We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities, including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect.