Primark has announced it will increase hourly pay for its retail colleagues across Great Britain, with more than 27,000 workers set to benefit from the change.

From April 1, the retailer will raise the average hourly pay rate for retail assistants to a minimum of £13.00 across England, Scotland and Wales, rising to £13.71 per hour for colleagues working in London.

Primark said the latest uplift means that, on average, a colleague will have seen their hourly pay increase by more than 15 per cent over the last three years.

Kari Rodgers, UK retail director at Primark, said the move reflects the growing demands placed on retail staff and recognises their contribution to customers and communities.

“As retail becomes a more demanding environment, our colleagues play an increasingly important role to support our customers and the local communities we’re part of up and down the country,” she said.

“By investing in increasing colleague pay, we hope this goes some way towards recognising their hard work, commitment and the value they bring every day.”

Alongside the pay increase, colleagues will continue to receive a 15 per cent year-round staff discount and access to a range of benefits. These include family benefits available to retail and depot colleagues, such as enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and surrogacy payments.

Primark currently employs more than 30,000 people in the UK across its retail operations and head office. The pay rise forms part of the retailer’s wider investment in its UK business, as it continues to open new stores and refurbish existing locations to drive footfall on the high street.

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