Lidl introduces new £13.45 rule across UK stores

Lidl will invest £29 million in staff pay and says the changes take effect on March 1, 2026.

Lidl has introduced a new £13.45 rule across its UK stores and announced a £29 million investment in employee pay. The company says the change will take effect on March 1, 2026, and will cover all 35,000 staff nationwide. Lidl reported that the investment applies to both salaried and hourly-paid employees and that its workforce benefits from the Real Living Wage nationwide and the London Living Wage. The retailer was certified as a Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute earlier this year. Key details: - Lidl says it will invest £29 million in staff pay. - The changes are reported to take effect on March 1, 2026, and to cover about 35,000 employees across the UK. - In London, hourly pay is reported to rise from £14.35 to £14.80, with potential increases to £15.30 with length of service. - The company states its employees receive the Real Living Wage nationwide and the London Living Wage. - Lidl was certified as a Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute this year. Summary: Lidl frames the measures as an increase in employee compensation and as a return to being the highest-paying UK supermarket. The reported changes are scheduled to start on March 1, 2026, and include specified rate increases for London roles. Additional operational details about how the new £13.45 rule will be applied were not included in the report.