Major UK retailers are rolling out a new '£13 rule' from March, increasing hourly wages to at least £13 ahead of the National Living Wage rise to £12.71 in April. The Real Living Wage, calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, currently stands at £13.45.
Primark was among the first to announce the change, with customer assistants across England, Scotland and Wales receiving a minimum of £13 per hour from 1 April, and London staff getting £13.71. The chain says this represents a 15% pay increase over three years, alongside a 15% staff discount and enhanced family benefits.
Discount supermarket Aldi will pay store assistants £13.50 per hour nationwide from April, rising to £14.88 in London, benefiting around 28,000 employees. Lidl has invested £29 million to increase entry-level wages to £13.45 from 1 March, with London rates reaching £14.80.
Sainsbury's will boost hourly pay to £13.23 nationwide and £14.54 in London from March 2026, adding over £1,200 annually for full-time staff. M&S will increase wages from £12.60 to £13.41 from 1 April, with London pay rising to £14.74, affecting approximately 55,000 employees.
Tesco, Britain's largest supermarket chain, is reportedly set to raise pay for over 300,000 staff to around £13.35 nationally and £14.71 in London, though the company has not confirmed these figures. A spokesperson said: 'We do not comment on speculation and are yet to set out our pay awards for 2026.'
