Lidl GB has unveiled a further £29 million investment in colleague pay, becoming the third major supermarket in a month to announce a pay rise as competition for staff across grocery retail continues to heat up.
From 1 March, entry-level hourly pay at Lidl GB will increase to an industry-leading £13.45 nationally, rising to £14.45 with length of service. In London, hourly rates will move from £14.35 to £14.80, increasing to £15.30 for longer-serving colleagues. The uplift applies to all 35,000 salaried and hourly paid colleagues across the business.
The discounter said the move will once again make it the highest-paying UK supermarket, with Lidl colleagues remaining the only supermarket employees to receive both the Real Living Wage nationwide and the London Living Wage.
The latest increase marks Lidl’s seventh pay rise since 2023 and comes as the retailer continues to expand its store estate, opening hundreds of new sites and creating jobs across Great Britain. Lidl said fair reward for colleagues remains central to its growth strategy as the UK’s fastest-growing bricks-and-mortar supermarket for more than two years running.
Alongside pay, Lidl is also enhancing its family-friendly benefits, doubling paid paternity leave from two to four weeks at full pay. Colleagues with five years’ service will be entitled to eight weeks’ full pay, positioning Lidl as one of the most competitive employers in this area. The move builds on its existing offer of 28 weeks’ full pay for maternity or adoption leave, as well as paid leave for fertility treatment and pregnancy loss.
“Our colleagues are the backbone of our business, and their success is our success. This is why I couldn’t be prouder that we’re able to offer the highest wages in the industry to reward our colleagues for their incredible work,” Stephanie Rogers, chief people officer at Lidl GB, said.
“We are continuing to mark unprecedented growth across Great Britain, creating thousands more jobs along the way, while continuing to invest in our people. This also means supporting our teams during key life stages so we’re also excited to announce our latest updates to our family leave policies, including a doubling of paid paternity leave.”
The announcement follows a flurry of wage increases across the supermarket sector. In January, Aldi revealed a £36m investment that will lift store assistant pay to £13.35 an hour nationally and £14.71 within the M25 from 1 March, rising to £14.30 and £15.03 respectively with service. Days later, Sainsbury’s confirmed a 5 per cent increase for hourly-paid colleagues, taking rates to £13.23 nationally and £14.54 in London.