Salt Lake City— Smith’s today announced it is hiring to support seasonal holiday business at its 141 stores throughout its seven states of operation and across e-commerce channels. Since the start of the public health crisis, Smith’s has hired more than 9,900 associates – many from the hardest-hit sectors during the pandemic such as restaurants, hotels, food service distributors.
“As a leading employer and retailer in the western region, Smith’s is preparing for the season ahead, knowing COVID-19 will continue to affect every aspect of our daily lives and operations,” said Aubriana Martindale, Smith’s Corporate Affairs Manager. “We are taking proactive steps to ensure our stores and facilities are clean, safe and appropriately staffed as well as shelves are full of fresh food and essentials and our supply chain and e-commerce solutions continue to operate efficiently, especially for upcoming holiday celebrations. Every action we’re taking requires friendly, caring and dedicated associates, and we’re currently recruiting talent to join our team for the holidays and beyond.”
Since March, Kroger’s family of companies, including Smith’s, have collectively invested more than $1 billion to both reward associates via Appreciation Pay, Hero Bonus, Thank You Pay, store credits and fuel points as well as to safeguard associates and customers through the implementation of safety measures. Combined, the organization has made more than 30 policy and process changes to protect its associates and customers.
Smith’s average hourly wage is $15 an hour. And with comprehensive benefits factored in, the organization’s average hourly rate is over $20. In addition to competitive pay and benefits, including health care, retirement planning, tuition reimbursement and DailyPay (on-demand pay), Smith’s offers flexible work schedules, stable job opportunities and discounts on Our Brands products.
“While this year has challenged us all in many ways, it’s been an uplifting experience to be able to provide bridge jobs to thousands of unemployed workers and serve and support our associates, customers and communities by living Our Purpose to Feed the Human Spirit,” continued Martindale.
Roles are available for seasonal support as well as non-seasonal needs. Candidates may apply via www.smithsfoodanddrug.com or stop into your neighborhood Smith’s store.
Holiday Season
Smith’s stores are open on Thanksgiving to provide customers with fresh, affordable food, with most locations closing at 2:00 PM.
As Smith’s plans for the holiday season, its merchandising team is preparing for shifts in customers’ preferences and shopping styles, given the pandemic landscape. According to 84.51°, Smith’s parent company’s data science and analytics firm, 43% of shoppers state that they plan to celebrate Thanksgiving at home with only those in their immediate household. With the prediction of smaller and more intimate gatherings, Smith’s is diversifying merchandising plans to include a greater assortment, including smaller turkeys, different proteins such as poultry, pork, beef, and seafood as first-time Thanksgiving cooks may opt to create new meal traditions as well as Home Chef prepared meals and a variety of vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian options like meatless roast.
“COVID-19 has altered the way we shop, eat and celebrate special moments, and this holiday season will be no exception,” said Martindale. “We know some individuals and families will be creating new traditions this year by making different recipes and gathering with a smaller group. No matter how our customers celebrate, it will center on food, and we look forward to offering our customers a selection of fresh, affordable ingredients and options this season.”
About Smith’s Food & Drug Stores
At Smith’s Food & Drug, a company of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. In everything we do, we’re guided by our values and our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit. We strive to make decisions that balance the safety of our associates with our commitments to our customers and communities. And above all else, we’ll be there for our communities when they need us most.