Boots is taking on a whole new look

Andy Smith Boots

The company said that of the total, 500 would be recruited in Scotland and 100 in Ireland.

Boots said the jobs, both full and part-time, would be for the Christmas period but many could turn into permanent positions.

The Christmas trading period is likely to have a big impact on Boots overall trading in the financial year which ends in March 2003.

Higher sales

The Nottingham-based firm's chain of chemists and beauty products stores has been losing sales to supermarkets.

The firm has fought back with a new look for its stores, 300 of which are due to be modernised by the end of this year.

"Boots is taking on a whole new look and we want high calibre people to take up the challenge," said Andy Smith, the firm's director of human resources.

Sales figures issued in September showed a pick up in business.

Excluding new stores, sales have increase 2.5% since April.

To cut costs, Boots recently transferred 400 staff in its information technology department to IBM.

That deal was designed to save £130m ($203m).