Aldi staff set for pay rise after record year

Aldi is gearing up to raise its minimum wage levels following a bumper Christmas in the UK and Ireland. It is looking to increase the minimum hourly rate of pay for store assistants to £8.85 nationally, a 3.75% rise, and to £10.20 in London, a 4.6% boost, from 1st February. 

The German discounter, the fifth biggest supermarket in Britain, reported sales growth of 15% in December compared with the previous year, with total annual sales hitting £10 billion for the first time in 2017. It also opened a further 76 stores, taking its total to 762.

Matthew Barnes, CEO at Aldi UK and Ireland, says: “This was our busiest-ever Christmas as millions of festive shoppers switched to Aldi from more expensive food retailers. Although we saw strong growth across all categories, the performance of our premium Specially Selected range in particular surpassed all expectations. This is a clear sign that shoppers knew they could indulge in Christmas treats and festive essentials at Aldi for a fraction of the price they would pay elsewhere.”

He adds: “We see significant capacity for further growth as there are still more than 400 towns and cities across the UK without an Aldi store. Shoppers in these areas consistently tell us they would shop with us if they could, and we are committed to meeting this demand for new Aldi stores.”