THOUSANDS of people have taken part in a jobs rush to fill 750 positions at a retail park.
With just two weeks until the opening of Parc Prestatyn, Tesco revealed it has been bombarded with 1,300 applications for just 200 jobs.
The supermarket giant is one of a number of businesses inundated with applications for 750 jobs created by the long-awaited town centre development.
Boots and Marks and Spencer also received a “high level” of interest in the 160 jobs created across both stores.
Tesco store manager Andrew Smith and his team carried out 1,000 interviews with 211 successful candidates recruited for a variety of full and part time roles, from managerial and team leader positions to general assistants.
Mr Smith, who has had a ten year career with Tesco, said: “After an interesting career, I am now very much looking forward to working within Prestatyn and really getting to know the local community.
“My team and I have been absolutely overwhelmed with the response from our recruitment drive. We have recruited brilliant people who are about to begin a long, successful career.”
Successful candidates include graduates, ex-forces, accountants, builders and even a trained football coach while 25 existing Tesco employees have also transferred to the new store.
The retail park will open on March 7 at 10am, with Next, River Island, New Look, Costa Coffee, Poundland and David Jones Furniture joining the line-up.
Cllr Anton Sampson, mayor of Prestatyn, said: “This is fantastic news for the town.
“After Kwik Save's head office closed we fell into the doldrums for a while, but this development has revitalised the town. I have noticed a tremendous excitement in the town as the opening approaches.
“People seem so optimistic.
Matthew Bedow, of Anderson Harkins, managing agents for Parc Prestatyn, said: “We have had a lot of enquiries about jobs and we have directed people to the companies who are hiring.
“Parc Prestatyn is going to be a boost to the town and a great jobs boost.
“Marks and Spencer have 108 staff positions all of which have now been filled and interest in the positions was extremely high and they have been delighted with the response.
“Boots have a staff of 50 and recruitment has gone very well.”