Aldi to create 1,600 new jobs and expand as supermarket rivals cut
Discount grocer Aldi is set to create 1,600 new roles this year as it expands its store presence in the UK, while its rivals slash jobs.
The announcement stands in marked contrast to news of 3,000 jobs cuts at Sainsbury’s, and small reductions in staff numbers at Tesco’s and Morrisons.
All three supermarkets have attributed the cuts to cost-savings measures, but only Sainsbury’s mentioned the effects only the higher national insurance bill announced in the budget.
HR Director at Aldi UK Kelly Stokes said: the company was “committed to creating rewarding careers and offering market-leading pay for all our store colleagues… this year promises to be an exciting year as we bring even more Aldi stores to local communities across Britain.
The news follows Aldi’s Christmas results, which were its “best ever”, the grocer said.
Aldi UK’s chief executive officer, Giles Hurley, attributed its success to “drop[ping] hundreds of prices last year” as part of an “ongoing mission to make outstanding quality, affordable food accessible to everyone”.
It also remained the UK’s cheapest supermarket for the fourth year running in 2024, charging £100.29 on average for a shopping list of 56 branded and own-label groceries in December.
Aldi’s market share rose 4.2 per cent year on year to over 10 per cent of the market, according to Kantar, with the grocer set to overtake Asda as the UK’s third-biggest supermarket by 2028.
New stores that are planned to open in the coming weeks include March in Cambridgeshire, Moston in Greater Manchester and Lytham in Lancashire, contributing to Aldi’s continued growth in Britain.
Aldi also recently announced a pay rise for Store Assistants from March 2025, with hourly rates increasing to at least £12.71, and £14.00 within the M25.
This is already above the new UK national living wage, which will increase 6.7 per cent to £12.21 per hour in April.