Online Assistant

Working in our stores

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 Online Assistants, you’ll be the special ingredient that supports a joyful shopping experience for our online customers, ensuring they get everything they shop for at Sainsbury’s.

Eligibility

• You must be above the school‑leaver age in your country (see Government guidelines).
• If the shifts cover hours earlier than 6 am or later than 11 pm, you must be at least 18 years of age.
• You must have Right‑to‑Work eligibility in the UK.

What you’ll be doing

• Pick and select the best quality products on the shop floor that online customers have ordered, preparing them for delivery or providing brilliant substitutions where products are out of stock.
• Use a handheld device that plans your route around the store, showing what you need to select and how long you have to complete each shop.
• Work behind the scenes dealing with customer queries, processing orders and helping to load the vans for our Home Delivery drivers.
• Always be ready to serve our customers brilliantly, supporting them with any questions and proactively offering help.
• Build strong knowledge about our products, services and promotions to provide helpful recommendations.
• Work flexibly across the store as required.

What makes a great Sainsbury’s Colleague

• Happy with early‑morning starts (most shifts start at 4 am) and working in a fast‑paced, physical and high‑energy environment.
• Friendly and welcoming, with genuine enthusiasm for helping customers.
• Enjoys working in a fast‑paced environment, using initiative to solve problems and taking responsibility for owning tasks.
• Always ready to work flexibly and productively to a high standard across the store; fully trained in a variety of skills with opportunities to learn, develop and try new things.
• Comfortable learning to use new digital tools and technology to do your job brilliantly while moving shopping containers up to 15 kg.
• Have 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

• Night‑shift premium – in addition to the advertised hourly rate, a £2.45 night‑shift premium is paid for every hour worked between midnight and 5 am (where applicable).
• Discount card – 10 % off at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu, and Habitat after four weeks, increasing to 15 % off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday, and 15 % off at Argos every pay day.
• 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, a confidential service providing support and guidance on a wide range of issues.

Apply now

Please note that vacancies may close quickly, so we encourage candidates to apply at their earliest convenience.

Contact

If you need an update on your application, please contact the store to which you have applied. You can find contact details for all Sainsbury\’s stores here.

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, support for carers and development opportunities such as mentorship, training and career progression pathways. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect.

Disability Confident Leader

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.