Aldi is raising pay for thousands of UK colleagues as part of a £36 million investment in pay and benefits, with store wages increasing from 1 March 2026.
From Sunday 1 March, starting pay for store assistants will rise to £13.35 per hour nationally and £14.71 per hour within the M25. Pay will increase further based on length of service, reaching £14.30 per hour nationally and £15.03 per hour inside the M25.
The discounter – the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket – is also boosting rates for store apprentices to £12.02 per hour outside the M25 and £13.22 per hour within the M25, which it said is “significantly higher” than the minimum wage for first-year apprentices.
Giles Hurley, chief executive officer of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Our colleagues are at the heart of everything we do. Their hard work and dedication is what allows us to offer customers the quality, value and service they expect from Aldi. That’s why we’re making such a significant investment in our promise to never be beaten on pay for our colleagues.”
Aldi said all colleagues will see their pay rise over the coming months, alongside enhanced family-friendly benefits. This includes maternity pay being extended to 26 weeks at full pay.
The retailer also highlighted that it remains the only supermarket to offer paid breaks to all store colleagues, which it said is worth up to £1,470 a year to store staff.
Earlier this month, Aldi reported its best-ever Christmas, with sales touching £1.65 billion in the four weeks to Christmas Eve, a three per cent increase year on year. Total sales increased by over 5 per cent in the week leading up to Christmas, as customers spent around £500m with the discounter.