A new supermarket in Christchurch has had to turn away more than 800 job seekers.
The owner and operator of a New World that will open in Ilam in November says more than 1000 people applied for the 170 jobs he has on offer.
Phillip Blackburn says several of the applicants used to work in the four New World branches which were forced to close because of the earthquakes.
But the National Distribution Union says the situation is not unique to Christchurch, and retail positions in other towns and cities often attract a high number of applicants.
