Italian Supermarket Offers Jobs as Prizes in Raffle

caption: the Tigros campaign banner says "I went shopping and found a job."

To celebrate 30 years in business, an Italian supermarket is staging a lottery where the prizes include ten jobs.

Customers, who must be local residents and over 18, might pick up a job along with the pasta at supermarket chain Tigros. The ad for the publicity ploy (above) says: “I went shopping and found a job.”

“Despite the economic crisis, we’re still growing,” founder Luigi Orrigoni told local papers. We’re opening one store after a remodel and a new store in May. It made sense to celebrate the anniversary by having our customers come to work for us.”

Based in the northwestern city of Varese, family-run Tigros has 59 stores and employs 1,200. They’ve printed 700,000 coupons for the lottery — other prizes includes free groceries — that runs for the month of September. Job winners may stock shelves, work at the check out, meat or fish counter, depending on experience.

If the winners do a good job on a year-long contract, Tigros says they’ll become full-time permanent hires. In Italy that usually means a job for life, with perks such as a guaranteed yearly bonus (one month’s salary) and six weeks of vacation a year.

2 thoughts on “Italian Supermarket Offers Jobs as Prizes in Raffle

  1. ..and that’s in northern Italy! Image how this would go over in the South. Italy has definitely been hit hard – but they are bouncing back. That’s the best part of the Italian people.

  2. Pingback: Italy News: 06 September 2009 | Italy Travel Guide

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