Household budgets face a busy winter. Shoppers want value, and workers want wages that hold up. One supermarket is moving first.
With the festive rush approaching, Aldi has set out a pay and hiring package that targets both queues at the tills and pressure on payslips. The chain says it will recruit thousands and lift hourly rates above a headline £14 threshold in London, while also keeping a rare perk that adds up over a year.
What the £14 rate means for you
Aldi says it now leads supermarket pay. It points to a starting rate of £13.02 per hour for store assistants across the UK and at least £14 inside the M25. In London, the figure rises to £14.35.
Starting pay: £13.02 nationwide; £14.35 within the M25. Paid breaks for everyone remain in place.
The company stresses that paid breaks apply to all store colleagues. That policy is worth more than £1,425 a year for an average employee, according to its own calculation.
Paid breaks add value worth over £1,425 a year, on top of headline hourly rates, says Aldi.
For staff working regular shifts, small differences stack up. The gap between £13.02 and £14.35 equates to £1.33 per hour. Over a 30-hour week, that is £39.90 before tax. Over 48 weeks of paid work, that is £1,915.20. Paid breaks then sit on top.
Who qualifies and where
The £14-plus rates apply to roles in London and within the M25. Outside the M25, store assistants start at £13.02. Aldi says the uplift reflects local labour markets and commuting costs.
Why Aldi is hiring 4,500 people
The chain plans to bring in 4,500 permanent store colleagues ahead of Christmas. The goal is to keep shelves filled, reduce queue times, and maintain service during peak trading days.
4,500 permanent roles are opening now, with hiring focused on the pre-Christmas surge and 2026 growth.
Recruitment spans entry level and leadership. The supermarket highlights store assistants, duty and section management, and cleaning roles. Contracts vary. The retailer points to a mix of shift patterns across mornings, evenings and weekends to match longer festive opening hours.
Roles on offer
- Store assistants handling replenishment, tills and customer queries
- Team leaders and managerial posts supporting daily operations
- Cleaning and maintenance roles to keep stores presentable during longer trading days
Shifts and breaks
Breaks remain paid for all colleagues. That matters on extended trading days, when a guaranteed paid pause protects take-home pay per shift. Aldi says the benefit is standard across stores rather than a temporary festive perk.
A push to grow: a store a week and a bigger target
The Christmas plan sits within a wider expansion. Aldi aims to open roughly one new store each week through the end of the year. Its long-term ambition is 1,500 UK stores, which would require sustained recruitment beyond the seasonal rush.
Growth at that pace demands more supervisors, backroom coordinators and delivery scheduling as well as front-of-house staff. The firm frames the current hiring as a pipeline for 2026 expansion rather than a short-term, temporary drive.
How it stacks up in the current market
Grocery pay has moved quickly in the past two years as chains fought for staff and tried to stay ahead of bills. Aldi claims the highest entry rate for store assistants among the major supermarkets, and it pairs that with paid breaks, which many rivals do not offer.
The London uplift to £14.35 acknowledges the premium cost of commuting and rent in the capital. In practical terms, that figure places a typical 30-hour week at £430.50 before tax, before accounting for break-time pay.
| Location | Starting hourly pay | Illustrative weekly pay (30 hours) | Paid breaks (annual value) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK (outside M25) | £13.02 | £390.60 | £1,425+ (company estimate) |
| London/inside M25 | £14.35 | £430.50 | £1,425+ (company estimate) |
Work-life balance over the holidays
Aldi will shut all stores on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day again this year. The chain argues that the closure supports rest after the busiest trading days and gives colleagues guaranteed time with families.
That policy also compresses demand into fewer days, which can intensify shifts before and after. The hiring push aims to spread the load and reduce overtime spikes around those closures.
What this could mean for your payslip
Consider two examples to gauge the impact of Aldi’s rates.
- 30-hour week outside the M25 at £13.02: roughly £1,692 a month before tax, assuming 52 paid weeks divided by 12, excluding paid breaks.
- 30-hour week inside the M25 at £14.35: roughly £1,867 a month before tax on the same basis, excluding paid breaks.
Paid breaks then add value. Aldi’s estimate of more than £1,425 a year works out at over £27 a week. Over December alone, that covers a typical seasonal rail fare increase or a winter energy top-up for many households.
How to act if you are interested
Applications typically require a short online form, proof of right to work, and availability for shifts that cover early mornings, evenings and weekends. A quick turnaround often applies in the run-up to December. Prepare to show flexibility and a willingness to move between tills, shop floor and backroom tasks during peak trade.
Managers usually look for attention to detail at replenishment, fast scanning at the checkout, and calm handling of long queues. A short skills assessment or trial shift may form part of the process.
Key takeaways at a glance
- £13.02 starting pay nationwide for store assistants
- £14.35 starting pay within the M25
- Paid breaks for all staff, worth £1,425+ a year on average
- 4,500 permanent roles ahead of Christmas and into 2026
- Stores closed on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
- Expansion plan targeting a store a week and a 1,500-store long-term goal
Extra context to widen your options
If you weigh up retail roles, look past the headline hourly rate. Paid breaks, guaranteed rest days after bank holidays, and predictable rotas influence real income and wellbeing. A higher base without paid breaks can lag behind a slightly lower base that pays you for downtime.
Run a quick personal simulation. List your likely weekly hours, include commuting time, and price your travel. Add the value of paid breaks using Aldi’s £1,425+ estimate and spread it across your actual working weeks. Compare that with an alternative employer’s pay where breaks are unpaid, then factor in seasonal overtime premiums if available. The clearer comparison sits in pounds per week, not just the hourly sticker price.
Good move. Paid breaks + higher base beats flashy “bonuses” that vanish after Christmas.
£14.35 inside the M25 sounds solid, but does it really keep up with London commuting and rent spikes? If paid breaks are worth £1,425 a year, what does that look like per shift—are longer festive days actually covered or capped? Also, how predictable are rotas across mornings/evenings/weekends? Childcare dependes on stability, not just rate. And are store assistants expected to switch between tills, floor and backroom in one shift without extra premium? Just trying to see the real take‑home vs time.