Aldi leads supermarket pay race with record increases
Reliability
Based on 29 sources
Publications (12)
Sources (29)Fact-Checking
17 claimsAldi will increase pay for 28,000 store assistants to £13.50 nationally and £14.88 within the M25 from April 1, 2026.
M&S will raise hourly pay to a minimum of £13.41 from April 1, 2026.
M&S invested £70 million in pay, a 6.4% increase.
Open Questions
5 questionsTesco increased minimum pay to £13.35 an hour nationally.
According to Daily Express - UK News (Co-op article)Tesco increased minimum pay to £13.28 an hour nationally.
According to Daily Express - UK News (Tesco article)Context: This discrepancy could confuse readers about the exact pay rate Tesco staff will receive. It may be due to a typo or different effective dates.
Tesco increased minimum pay to £14.71 in London.
According to Daily Express - UK News (Co-op article)Tesco increased minimum pay to £14.55 in London.
According to Daily Express - UK News (Tesco article)Context: Similar to the national rate discrepancy, this affects the accuracy of reported London pay for Tesco staff.
Aldi's pay rise is from April 1, 2026.
According to Daily Mirror - Main, Newcastle Chronicle, Daily Express - UK News (Co-op article), Daily Express - UK News (Waitrose article)Aldi boosted rates twice in 2026, with entry-level pay rising to £13.50, without specifying the second rise date.
According to Daily Express - FinanceContext: This inconsistency may cause confusion about whether Aldi implemented one or two pay increases in 2026. The research source clarifies there were two increases, but the major media sources only mention the April one.