NEARLY 800 people have applied for just 120 jobs at Worcester's new Waitrose - leaving store bosses staggered.
The Worcester News revealed last week how the upmarket retailer has launched a hunt to find workers at its emerging £20 million store off London Road.
But after being besieged by applications, the supermarket has now taken the adverts off the internet because so many people are vying for them already.
Waitrose says it hopes to put the job adverts back online later today (WED) after taking them offline several days ago to filter through the piles of applications.
So far 788 applications have been made for the jobs, which include positions such as supermarket assistant, customer services and hospitality.
Across the whole of Worcester there were only 1,005 people claiming unemployment benefits last month - and back in December it hit an all-time low of 860.
Sarah Duncan, Waitrose recruitment manager, said: "We have been overwhelmed by the interest in joining our business with around six people applying for every job within just a few days.
"The vacancies will go live again, but we would encourage people to apply quickly should they wish to do so following the response so far."
Anyone landing a job with Waitrose will become a member of the John Lewis Partnership, Britain's biggest employee ownership model.
The positions pay £7.30 to £8.91 per-hour and include extra benefits like learning and leisure subsidies, shopping discounts and even an annual bonus, which this year was five weeks' salary.
The city's Waitrose will be nearly double the size of its 25,000 sq ft Malvern store and feature a range of John Lewis goods, a coffee shop with outside seating, fish, cheese, meat and patisserie counters and 285 parking spaces.
The new store, which has resulted in months of demolition work at the former Ebenezer Baylis print works, will open some time in the summer.
The supermarket has also confirmed that it will have a stall at a special jobs event for the disabled at the Guildhall on Wednesday, April 6.
Now in its third year, 'Disability Confident' is a Government campaign aimed at encouraging businesses to recognise the value of employing disabled people.
Worcester MP Robin Walker, who is organising it, said: "I'm delighted we have a responsible employer in Waitrose and the John Lewis Partnership coming into Worcester and creating job opportunities.
"I've been keen to promote the disability confident campaign for a long time in order to help more businesses understand how they can support disabled people into work.
"Waitrose is an enthusiastic employer and supporter of this campaign and I am pleased to have them on board for April 6."
