Aldi is giving lots of staff in Sheffield a pay rise after a record-breaking Christmas

Aldi staff in Sheffield are set for a post-Christmas treat as the store announced they were giving all store assistants a pay rise.
Aldi in SheffieldAldi in Sheffield
Aldi in Sheffield

The grocery chain announced it will pay all store assistants a minimum hourly rate of £8.85 nationally and £10.20 in London from February 1, which Aldi said makes it the UK's "highest paying supermarket".

Aldi also pledged to match the Living Wage Foundation's recommended rates of £8.75 nationally and £10.20 in London for all of its employees from the same date.

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The news comes after Aldi raked in over £10 billion in sales last year for the first time after notching up record sales over Christmas.

The German supermarket said total UK sales were more than 15% higher during December compared to the same month in 2016.

This festive boost pushed Aldi's total sales in the UK and Ireland during 2017 over the £10 billion barrier for the first time.

The budget chain's "specially selected" premium range saw sales rocket 30%, with mince pies, Aberdeen Angus beef roasting joints and Irish cream liqueur among the top-selling products.

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Boss Matthew Barnes said: "This was our busiest-ever Christmas as millions of festive shoppers switched to Aldi from more expensive food retailers.

"Although we saw strong growth across all categories, the performance of our premium Specially Selected range in particular surpassed all expectations.

"This is a clear sign that shoppers knew they could indulge in Christmas treats and festive essentials at Aldi for a fraction of the price they would pay elsewhere."

Aldi sold more than 6.8 million bottles of wine, champagne and Prosecco during December, or over 200,000 bottles per day.

It also sold over four million mince pies and more than 100 million packs of vegetables, including parsnips, sprouts and carrots.