Co-op is giving store colleagues a pay increase to at least £12 an hour as it brings hourly rates in line with the Real Living Wage.
The convenience chain said the move represents its biggest ever investment into pay having bumped up rates for shop staff by over 20% in the last two years.
From 1 April, Co-op Customer Team Members outside of London will receive a 10.1% increase in pay to £12.00 per hour and employees in London will see their hourly rate increase from £12.25 to £13.15.
The convenience chain said that its team leaders will also receive a 10.1% increase from £12.10 to £13.32 per hour.
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Co-op Food managing director Matt Hood said: “Our store colleagues are the heart of our member-owned business and we truly value their dedication and hard work.
“We’re proud to continue to be aligned to the Real Living Wage, which makes Co-op one of the top food retailers in terms of pay.
“Co-op continues to operate in challenging environments and volatile markets, some of which we have only recently stabilised.
“However, we believe this investment in our colleagues is of paramount importance to recognise their outstanding commitment to serving our Member-owners and shoppers in communities all across the UK.
Earlier this week, Tesco also revealed it would be raising the hourly rate for its store employees by 9.1% as part of a £300m investment into pay.
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