Aldi lifts hourly pay for shop workers to £13

Aldi has announced it is set to become the first supermarket to pay store assistants at least £13.00 an hour.

The new minimum rate, which increases to £14.33 within the M25, will take effect from 1 September 2025 and further exceeds the Real Living Wage of £12.60 an hour that was set by the Living Wage Foundation in October last year.

Store assistants are currently paid a minimum of £12.75 an hour nationwide, and £14.05 an hour within the M25. Based on the length of service, Aldi also confirmed store assistants’ pay will rise further to £13.93 nationally, and £14.64 within the M25.

Aldi added it is also the only retailer to offer all colleagues paid breaks, which is worth approximately £1,385 a year for the average store colleague.

Giles Hurley, CEO, Aldi UK and Ireland, 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.”

Last month, Aldi announced it is set to recruit 1,000 store roles across the UK as it accelerates its store openings programme for the rest of 2025.

The group said it is hiring for a range of in-store positions including store assistants, cleaners, apprentices and management roles.

The recruitment drive follows a public call for suggestions on where new stores are most needed. Aldi said it has reviewed thousands of responses to help shape its site search.

Priority locations included Braintree in Essex, Bromley in Greater London, Chesham in Buckinghamshire and Balby in Doncaster, alongside other sites across the UK.

The expansion is part of a £650m investment this year. Aldi currently operates more than 1,050 stores in the UK and is working towards a long-term target of 1,500.