Online Assistant

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

An Online Assistant at Sainsbury’s Exeter is a part‑time, on‑site role that involves picking and substituting online orders, answering customer questions, helping load vans, and using a route planning handset to stay efficient in a fast and physical environment with early starts around 4am. You’ll build knowledge of products and promotions while working flexibly across the store and learning new digital tools. In applying, demonstrate reliability, a customer‑first mindset, and the ability to work solo and as part of a team, with great attention to detail. Confirm UK right to work and school‑leaving age, and apply early as roles can close quickly; if you need adjustments, ask for support.

What you’ll be doing:

• Picking and selecting the best quality products on the shop floor that online customers have ordered ready for it to be delivered to their doorsteps – or providing brilliant substitutions where products are out of stock
• Using a handset that plans your route around the store, what you need to select and how long you have to complete each shop
• Working behind the scenes dealing with customer queries, processing orders and helping to load the vans for our Home Delivery Drivers 
• Always ready to serve our customers brilliantly, supporting with any questions, and proactively offering help  
• Build great knowledge about our products, services and promotions to help provide recommendations 
• Working flexibly across the store as required

What makes a great Sainsbury’s Colleague: 

• Happy with early morning starts (as most shifts start at 4am) and working in a fast-paced, physical and high energy environment, often on your own but also thrive in being part of a team
• Friendly and welcoming with a genuine enthusiasm for helping customers 
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced, physical and high energy environment, using initiative to solve problems and taking responsibility for owning tasks
• Always ready to work flexibly and productively to a high standard across the store - you’ll be fully trained in a variety of skills, so you have opportunities to learn, develop and try new things 
• Comfortable in learning to use new digital tools and technology to do your job brilliantly and moving shopping containers up to 15KG.  
• Have great attention to detail, keeping the store clean and clutter free, always looking to create the best shopping experience for our customers

Working for us has great rewards:

We truly value our colleagues and provide market-leading benefits and training to reflect that:

• Nightshift premium - in addition to the advertised hourly rate, a further £2.45 nightshift premium is paid for every hour worked between midnight - 5am (where applicable).
• Discount card – 10% off at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu, and Habitat after four weeks, increasing to 15% discount at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday
• Free food and hot drinks - provided for Colleagues in all our stores
• Generous holiday entitlement - based on the hours you work, plus maternity and paternity leave
• Pension – we’ll match between 4-7.5% of your pension contributions
• Sainsbury’s share schemes – buy Sainsbury’s shares at discounted prices
• Shopping discounts – special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more 
• Wellbeing support – including free access to our Employee Assistance Programme which is a confidential service providing support and guidance on a wide range of issues

Please note that our vacancies may close quickly, so we encourage candidates to apply at their earliest convenience.

If you need an update on your application, you should contact the store that you have applied to. You can find contact details for all Sainsbury's stores here.

Working in our stores:

Our stores are fast-paced environments where no two days are ever the same. They are at the heart of the local community providing outstanding value, quality and great service. As one of our Online Assistants, you’ll be the special ingredient that supports a joyful shopping experience for our online customers, so they get everything they shop at Sainsbury’s for.

Eligibility: 

• You must be above the school-leaver age in your country School leaving age - GOV.UK
• If the shifts for this role cover hours earlier than 6am or later than 11pm, you will need to be at least 18 years of age.
• You must have Right to Work eligibility in the UK

An inclusive place to work and shop

We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can achieve their full potential, and every customer feels welcome when they shop with us.

To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range of enhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We provide our colleagues resources to help them understand and support their role and their team effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek to ensure true representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our colleagues may face. 

We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities, including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. If you would like to learn more about our commitment to inclusivity, please take a look here. 

As part our commitment as a Disability Confident Leader, all candidates will have the opportunity to be offered an interview through our online assessment which will prioritise those candidates who achieve the highest score and therefore most closely match the essential criteria for the role.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview stages, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.