Aldi has become the latest supermarket to unveil a pay rise in 2026, marking the second time the discount retailer has increased the minimum pay for its staff this year.

However, it is not the only grocery retailer to have upped its pay, with Lidl, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s all confirming pay rises due to come into effect in the next couple of months.

Retail Gazette has rounded up and compared the hourly rates at the UK’s top supermarkets to find which retailer has the best pay.

Leading the supermarkets, Aldi store assistants can expect to receive £13.50 nationally and £14.88 inside the M25 from 1 April, the discount retailer’s second pay increase in 2026.

From 1 March, staff were already set to get £13.35 per hour nationally, and £14.71 per hour within the M25, with Aldi adding that salaries will grow to £14.30 per hour and £15.03 within the M25 based on length of service.

The supermarket’s CEO Giles Hurley, who has previously vowed to ‘never be beaten on pay’, said the latest increase confirms Aldi as the highest paying in the sector.

Hurley added: “Our colleagues work incredibly hard to deliver exceptional value for our customers, and we’re rewarding that dedication with the highest pay in the sector.”

The announcement came just days after the John Lewis Partnership confirmed it would be awarding its staff an above inflation pay rise this year of 6.9%, following three consecutive years of bonus freezes at the retailer.

The partnership, which owns Waitrose and John Lewis, said set aside £108m to fund pay rises for the majority of its 69,000 partners, with the John Lewis Partnership chief people officer Helen Webb adding: “Our partners are the heartbeat of our business,”

“This £108 million investment is about putting more money into their pockets month-in, month-out. This pay growth demonstrates a sustained commitment to partner pay, consistent with previous years. This ensures that the rewards for our partners’ hard work are built into their monthly pay as we continue to invest in the future of the Partnership.”

Meanwhile, at the beginning of February, Lidl unveiled a £29m investment in staff pay, in a bid at the time to beat Aldi and “once again” make it the highest paying UK supermarket. From 1 March, the retailer’s entry-level hourly pay will rise to £13.45 nationally, increasing to £14.45 with length of service.

Alongside pay, Lidl is also doubling its paternity leave from two to four weeks on full pay, with, after five years of service, staff to be entitled to eight weeks’ full pay.

Last month, Sainsbury’s revealed it was granting staff a 5% pay increase, which it said reflects their “exceptional contribution and our commitment to being a great place to work”.

Commenting on the pay package, which includes pension scheme, share-save scheme, free food during shifts and discounts that allow workers to save over £600 annually on an £80 weekly shop, Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts said: “Our colleagues are at the heart of our business.

“Their hard work, dedication and commitment have driven our strong momentum and helped us win grocery market share growth for the sixth consecutive Christmas period.”

Other supermarket have not yet announced pay increases in 2026, with Tesco last updating its pay in August 2025, after reaching an agreement with trade union USDAW. Last year, the UK’s largest retailer upped its hourly pay rate for colleagues in stores by 5.2%, from £12.02 to £12.45 from 30 March 2025, and again to £12.64 from the end of August.

Elsewhere, Morrisons has reportedly told workers they will not be given significant pay rises this year, following the Government’s tax increases on employers and the minimum wage hike.

In an email addressed to staff, the grocer said changes from Rachel Reeves’ October 2024 Budget, including the 6.7% rise in the living wage, had cost Morrisons an additional £200m and limited profitability, its bosses said.

A Morrisons spokesperson pointed to the business’s last financial year, which included an investment of over £100m in colleague hourly pay, and additional £70m following National Living Wage increase in April 2026.

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