Aldi says it is to raise its minimum wage levels following a record Christmas for the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket chain.
The German discounter reported sales growth of 15% in December compared to the previous year – with total annual sales in the UK and Ireland hitting £10bn for the first time in 2017.
It claimed there was clear evidence of shoppers “switching” to its offering over the festive season as it continued to pile the pressure on more established rivals such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.
In the first Christmas trading update in the sector, Aldi reported particularly strong demand for its “specially selected” premium range.
It said mince pies, Aberdeen Angus beef roasting joints and Irish cream liqueur were among the top-selling products.
More than 6.8 million bottles of wine, champagne and prosecco were sold during December alone.
However the chain, which has expanded aggressively, gave no breakdown of sales on a like for like comparison basis or any hint about profitability as its bigger rivals listed on the stock market are required to do.
It did announce a pay rise for its store assistants – saying it would make Aldi the “highest paying supermarket”.
Aldi said it was to roll out a new minimum hourly rate of £8.85 nationally – a rise of 32p – and £10.20 in London from 1 February.
The retailer, which has 762 stores in the UK, also reiterated its long-term strategy to have a network of 1,000 by 2022.
Chief Executive of Aldi in the UK and Ireland, Matthew Barnes, said: “We see significant capacity for further growth as there are still more than 400 towns and cities across the UK without an Aldi store.
“Shoppers in these areas consistently tell us they would shop at Aldi if they could, and we are committed to meeting this demand for new Aldi stores.”
