Job vacancies at new Barnstaple Wilkinson's

By [jcooper]

HUNDREDS of people attended recruitment open days hoping for a job at a new Barnstaple store.

The events in Barnstaple attracted more than 320 people — all competing for one of 60 jobs at Wilkinson.

The company is opening a new store in the former Woolworth site in Green Lanes shopping centre.

Renovation work on the premises has already started and the store is due to open on September 23.

Shaun Boore, the new Barnstaple store manager, said he had been very impressed with the quality of applicants.

He said: "The standard has been very high and we have been overwhelmed by the amount of people we have seen through the doors.

"We are recruiting for positions across the board, from customer service assistants through to supervisors.

"We are also taking on a few temporary staff to see us through the Christmas period and hopefully, if all goes well, we might be able to keep a few of them on for longer."

Shaun explained that a lot of the people who turned up for interviews had recently been made redundant from local factories and shops, including Woolworths.

One former Woolies employee, who wished to remain nameless, said: "I worked there for eight years and it was an awful, traumatic experience when it closed.

"I have always worked in retail but I don't know what position to apply for at Wilkinson yet.

"It'll be nice to work somewhere where the whole staff body is new — it'll be a fresh start for a lot of people.

"It will also be nice to be back in the old building — it's like a morgue in Green Lanes at the moment, no atmosphere at all."

Wilkinson sells everything from toiletries and cleaning products to kitchen and homeware and garden furniture.

Shaun said he was looking forward to the prospect of opening the new store.

He said: "Our nearest stores to North Devon are in Torquay, Plymouth and Taunton but the general public in Barnstaple is crying out for a shop like this.

"A lot of people in North Devon who have been made redundant are looking to retail for a new career and this has been reflected in the amount of application forms we've given out.

"I'm looking forward to opening the new store and getting things underway."

● You can still apply online for a position at Wilkinson by visiting their website at www.wilkinsonplus.com.