Aldi becomes first UK supermarket to top staff pay at £13 an hour

The retailer’s new minimum rate, which will take effect from September 1, will increase to £14.33 for staff inside the M25 and top £13 an hour across the rest of the country – with both far exceeding the £12.60 Real Living Wage set by the foundation in October last year.

Aldi frontline staff are currently paid a minimum of £12.75 an hour, and £14.05 inside the M25.

Based on length of service staff pay will rise further to £13.93 nationally, and £14.64 within the M25.

The discounter is also the only supermarket retailer to offer its staff paid breaks, which it says is worth approximately £1,385 a year to the average store colleague.

Aldi UK and Ireland chief executive Giles Hurley said: “Our people are the driving force behind our success across the UK. This latest investment in pay is a reflection of their hard work and the incredible contribution they make every single day. We’re proud to remain the UK’s highest-paying supermarket and will continue to support our colleagues in every way we can.”

The announcement comes as Aldi looks to bolster its ranks ahead of next year, with plans to recruit over a 1,000 new store jobs before 2026. 

The discounter is looking to ramp up its programme of new store openings over the rest of the year, as it goes from strength to strength, having officially overtaken Asda as the third biggest UK supermarket in May of this year.