Waitrose: There is no freeze-out

The company says that in some areas it will have to bring in its own specialist personnel if it is to meet its target of reopening its stores within a fortnight of closing them for a refit.

But Waitrose says that it will soon be contacting local firms to assess their capability to work at the speed and standards required by the John Lewis Partnership-owned group.

The UK supermarket chain has bought the Safeway store off Trinity Hill as well as the Checkers supermarkets at Red Houses and Rue des Prés. It is now looking at employing more than 200 people in Jersey, about 100 more than originally announced.