Future Shop stocking-up for the holidays by hiring more than 5,000 seasonal
associates

Another 25 million Canadian shoppers expected at Future Shop this holiday

BURNABY, BC, Oct. 13 /CNW/ - Ready or not, the holiday shopping season is upon us and Future Shop, Canada's largest consumer electronics retailer and e-tailer, is preparing by hiring more than 5,000 seasonal associates to help customers in its 142 stores across Canada .

"The holidays are the most important and busiest time of the year for Future Shop," said Chris Taylor , Vice President of Human Resources, Future Shop. "We recognize that consumer electronics top the wish lists of Canadians and that's why we are looking to hire people who are passionate about technology. Canadians appreciate having our tech savvy associates help them identify great gifts for loved ones."

Future Shop's hiring blitz begins nationally this week, allowing the company enough time to recruit and properly train the thousands of seasonal associates that will be added to the company's current team of more than 10,000 Product Experts and Customer Service Associates. The new hires will be empowered to help customers find the best gifts in all areas including: Entertainment, Home Theatre, Cell Shop, Appliances, Home Office and Digital Imaging. The seasonal associates will receive one-week of intensive training and are expected to be in-store by November.

"Once again, we're anticipating more than 25 million Canadians to shop at Future Shop during the holiday season, so it's critical that we plan accordingly to staff our stores," said Taylor. "Our hiring blitz, combined with our knowledgeable Product Experts, is designed to make holiday shopping as easy as possible for customers."

Future Shop's recruitment plans to go beyond traditional job postings, and connect with future seasonal employees via social media channels such as Twitter. Applicants can apply online by visiting www.futureshop.ca/careers.

As for the hot gift items this year, Taylor forecasts HDTVs, appliances, next generation iPods and netbooks as the most popular items this holiday season. He also believes new movie releases in blu-ray "live" format, gaming consoles, games and accessories and installation services like Connect Pro, will follow closely behind.

About Future Shop

With 142 stores across the country and the nation's premier web store (www.futureshop.ca), Burnaby, BC-based Future Shop is Canada's largest retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics. The company employs more than 10,000 technology enthusiasts, has enabled its website to deliver unparalleled content about the products it sells and host an online community forum for technology beginners and tech-savvy experts to exchange ideas, reviews, tips and other consumer electronics information (www.futureshopforums.ca). As a proud corporate citizen, Future Shop has developed solutions to recycle used electronics (see www.futureshop.ca/green) and is committed to employee volunteerism and supporting non-profits organizations dedicated to transforming local youth into Future Leaders (see www.futureshop.ca/community and www.futureshop.ca/futuregeneration).

For further information: Media contacts: Elliott Chun, Future Shop, [email protected], [phone]; Stefanie Niewada, Optimum PR, [email protected], [phone]; In Quebec: Thierry Lopez, [phone], [email protected]