Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is seeking “enthusiastic, hard working” colleagues to fill 14,100 seasonal jobs, according to Helen Webb, Sainsbury’s retail HR director.

The new jobs form part of Sainsbury’s wider plans to recruit 3,500 new colleagues by March 2011 to meet the demands of its store opening and expansion programme.

The supermarket announced the creation 527 new jobs at three new stores.

The new openings see 263 new jobs at Sainsbury’s Crayford, 147 new jobs at Sainsbury’s Newport and 117 new jobs at Sainsbury’s Darnley.

Webb said: “We are very proud to be able to announce these opportunities at what is a very challenging time for the economy.

“Retail is a fast-paced, dynamic industry all year round but there really is no more exciting time to be in store than Christmas. Last year 24m customers visited our stores in the week leading up to Christmas and our seasonal colleagues are absolutely crucial to ensuring we meet the needs of our customers.”