Overview
- The retailer is recruiting 4,500 permanent store colleagues ahead of the festive period to replenish stock and serve customers into 2026.
- Starting pay is £13.02 an hour nationally and £14.35 inside the M25, with multiple outlets reporting Aldi as the first UK supermarket to exceed £14 in London.
- Coverage reports that the £14‑plus rate currently applies at around 65 stores inside the M25 as part of the latest pay step.
- Aldi says it is the only UK supermarket offering paid breaks to all staff, worth more than £1,425 a year for the average store colleague.
- The hiring supports plans to open roughly one new store each week before year‑end toward a 1,500‑store estate, with regional drives citing 210 roles in Essex, 370 in Greater Manchester, 200 in Wales and 80 in Staffordshire, and UK stores will close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.