Asda is to create 7,500 new jobs after the acquisition of Netto stores and a boost in home deliveries.

Asda, said it would create 7,500 new jobs in the UK next year, half of them at new stores although it said it already has 3,000 unfilled job vacancies available.

The supermarket said it would hire 3,500 at new stores, 2,400 for its home shopping service and 100 in new pharmacies.

Asda will also recruit 1,500 staff at Netto stores - the Danish discounter is bought in May - doubling its staff at the outlets in the process.

The Netto acquisition is set to add around one million square feet and create an Asda Supermarkets division of around 170 stores. The conversion programme, which will start in the first quarter of 2011, is expected to be completed by this time next year.

Asda ceo Andy Bond said: "I'm proud to say that next year we will once again create thousands of new jobs at every level of our growing business.

“At Asda we always recruit for attitude and train for skill, so you needn’t have previous retail experience to apply. We’re simply looking for people who share our passion for customer service.”

This week Tesco announced it created 4,162 new jobs between March and September, in 68 newly opened stores and distribution centres across the UK and Northern Ireland.

This total takes the retailer almost half way to its target of 9,000 new jobs over the year.

Tesco received over 40,000 applications for the new jobs in the first half of its financial year, almost ten for every new role. Of the new jobs created in the first six months of the year, 47 per cent (1,956) were offered to under 25 year olds and 11 per cent (440) to employees over the age of 50.

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