Aldi is preparing a major expansion across the UK in 2026, planning roughly 40 new store openings and more than 1,100 new store roles as part of a broader investment of over £370 million aimed at growing its network and workforce this year. According to BirminghamLive and The Retail Bulletin, the hiring drive will cover a range of full‑time and part‑time positions from store assistants and cleaners to store managers.

The retailer is positioning pay increases at the centre of its recruitment push. From April 1, 2026, entry pay for store assistants will rise to £13.50 per hour nationally and to £14.88 within the M25, with higher rates payable after set lengths of service. BirminghamLive and The Retail Bulletin report this change is bundled into a larger colleague pay package. Industry commentary and competitor comparisons circulated in trade outlets note that these rates place Aldi at the top of the supermarket pay table.

Aldi says the raise forms part of an investment in colleague pay totalling more than £40 million in 2026. NewsHub and other outlets add that the company describes the move as part of its ongoing strategy to attract and retain staff, including detailing reward packages for graduate area managers to bolster management pipelines. The company’s own press material sets the pay investment in the context of a multi‑year expansion plan.

The expansion forms part of a previously announced two‑year programme worth about £1.6 billion to open some 80 new shops, with the current year’s £370 million allocation focused on roughly 40 sites. Aldi has named several locations earmarked for development, including sites in Southam, Hastings and Amersham, and reiterated its longer‑term target of operating 1,500 UK stores. The Retail Bulletin and Aldi’s press centre provide those programme details.

Aldi also highlights staff benefits beyond headline pay. The retailer remains, it says, the only major supermarket to offer paid breaks to all colleagues, a perk it values at roughly £1,500 a year for the average store colleague, and it is signalling structured progression routes and training as part of its employment proposition. BirminghamLive and the company’s announcement both flag these non‑wage measures as central to retention efforts.

Speaking for the retailer, Kelly Stokes, recruitment director at Aldi UK, outlined the company’s intent to broaden retail career pathways: “We want to encourage more people across the UK to consider a career in retail, starting with high-quality training and development that gives people the skills and confidence to succeed. “As we open more stores, we’re creating more opportunities for people to start to build rewarding careers with Aldi. "With market-leading pay, clear progression routes and ongoing support, we’re helping more people grow in retail while bringing Aldi’s award-winning, affordable products to more local communities.” The quoted remarks appeared in Aldi’s media commentary and were carried by regional reporting.

Observers note the move comes as supermarkets compete to secure staff amid rising living costs and after government adjustments to minimum and living wage thresholds. Trade reporting compares Aldi’s new rates with other grocers and frames the pay rises as both a recruitment tool and a response to sectoral wage pressure. Retail analysts and business outlets suggest the measures will intensify competition for in‑store talent during the expansion phase.