CHRISTMAS RETAIL:Argos is seeking 670 workers across the Republic to cover the Christmas period. The catalogue-based retailer is to take on additional staff in 40 stores during the festive season.

"Christmas is our busiest period of the year," said Andy McClelland, national operations manager at Argos. "So we always need extra help in our stores to ensure we can deliver great service to the hundreds of thousands of customers who shop with us at this time."

New recruits will get an immediate 10 per cent staff discount according to the retailer, as well as a 20 per cent discount at sister company Homebase.

The roles are for up to three months, with opportunities to extend to four months and a potential permanent contract.

Argos is one of the largest retail employers in the State with about 1,500 employees.