Aldi, the discount supermarket chain, is set to create 1,600 new jobs this year as it expands its º£½ÇÊÓƵ store footprint, even as its competitors cut jobs.
This announcement starkly contrasts with the news of ³§²¹¾±²Ô²õ²ú³Ü°ù²â’s cutting 3,000 jobs and minor staff reductions at Tesco and Morrisons, as reported by .
All three supermarkets have cited cost-saving measures as the reason for the cuts, but only ³§²¹¾±²Ô²õ²ú³Ü°ù²â’s has mentioned the impact of the higher national insurance bill announced in the budget.
Aldi º£½ÇÊÓƵ's HR Director, Kelly Stokes, stated that the company was "committed to creating rewarding careers and offering market-leading pay for all our store colleagues... this year promises to be an exciting year as we bring even more Aldi stores to local communities across Britain."
The news follows Aldi’s Christmas results, which were its " This follows Aldi’s "best ever" Christmas results, with sales growing 3.4 per cent YoY, seasonal offerings increasing by 10 per cent, and its premium range seeing a 12 per cent jump compared to 2023.
Giles Hurley, Aldi º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s CEO, attributed the success to "drop[ping] hundreds of prices last year" as part of an "ongoing mission to make outstanding quality, affordable food accessible to everyone".
The supermarket also retained its title as the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s cheapest supermarket for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, charging an average of £100.29 for a shopping list of 56 branded and own-label groceries in December.
Aldi's market share has seen a year-on-year increase of 4.2 per cent, taking it to over 10 per cent of the market, according to Kantar. This puts the supermarket chain on track to surpass Asda as the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's third-largest by 2028.
New stores are set to open in the coming weeks in locations such as March in Cambridgeshire, Moston in Greater Manchester and Lytham in Lancashire, contributing to Aldi's ongoing expansion in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ.
Furthermore, Aldi recently announced a pay rise for Store Assistants from March 2025, with hourly rates set to increase to at least £12.71, and £14.00 within the M25.
This is already above the new º£½ÇÊÓƵ national living wage, which will see a 6.7 per cent increase to £12.21 per hour in April.
