Lidl is making a huge change across more than its 1,000 UK stores. The budget supermarket has announced that it will increase its entry-level hourly pay to £13.45 as of March, with the allowance rising to £14.45 with length of service. The pay rise marks Lidl's seventh in the space of three years.

The supermarket has shared that it will invest £29 million in staff pay, benefiting both salaried and hourly-paid employees, adding that the investment will make it the highest-paying UK supermarket "once again".

The change will take effect on March 1, 2026, and will benefit all 35,000 staff members nationwide. Those in London will see their hourly pay increase from £14.35 to £14.80, with the potential to rise further to £15.30 with length of service.

The company said its employees are the only ones within the industry to benefit from the Real Living Wage nationwide and the London Living Wage.

Lidl is also doubling its paternity leave from two to four weeks on full pay, while after five years in the role, employees will be entitled to eight weeks' full pay.

Lidl GB chief people officer Stephanie Rogers said: "We're delighted to offer these family leave enhancements for new parents.

"These improvements build on our extension of paid maternity leave and further demonstrate our ongoing commitment to providing competitive and meaningful benefits to our colleagues."

Ms Rogers added: "We believe that a longer period of paid paternity leave is a vital step on our journey towards gender equality in the workplace."

"By encouraging the taking of paternity leave, particularly by our more senior male colleagues, stretch and development opportunities will be opened up for others."

Lidl was certified as a Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute at the beginning of the year, with Adrian Seligman, the institute's CEO, noting that the supermarket is "determined to create a first-class working environment that secures sustainable performance for the company".