Aldi is about to become the very first supermarket in the UK to pay its store assistants at least £13 an hour, outpacing rivals including Tesco, Lidl, Sainsbury's, and Asda.

From September 1, Aldi will become the first UK supermarket to pay its store assistants a minimum of £13 per hour nationally, and within the M25, this rate will rise even further to £14.33 per hour. This is a boost from the current minimum of £12.75 per hour nationwide and £14.05 in the M25 area. The new pay structure exceeds the Real Living Wage of £12.60 per hour, as recommended by the Living Wage Foundation in October last year. Depending on length of service, Aldi store assistants could also see their hourly pay rise to £13.93 nationally and £14.64 within the M25.

In addition, Aldi remains the only UK supermarket to offer paid breaks, a benefit worth an estimated £1,385 per year to the average store colleague.

Aldi UK and Ireland Chief Executive Giles Hurley 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."

The announcement follows Aldi's recent recognition as Employer of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards.

Aldi is now the UK's fourth-largest supermarket, operating over 1,020 stores and employing around 45,000 people.

The German discount retailer first entered the UK market in 1990 and now has a strong presence across the country, with 50 to 100 stores in each region of the UK and Ireland.

Last year, Aldi revealed a record breaking £800 million investment in the UK, following all time high sales.

As part of its expansion plans, Aldi has committed to opening 40 new stores in 2025, including 10 brand new stores launching this summer.