Leading UK retailers have pledged to increase minimum hourly pay for store-based colleagues from 01 April, as they all look to go above the UK government’s 2025 National Living Wage.
B&Q
The DIY specialist will up its minimum hourly pay for store staff to £12.71, in London this will jump to £14.05. This will result in over 15,000 colleagues receiving an extra 50p per hour, which equates to £955.50 more a year for a full-time employee.
Graham Bell, chief executive of the DIY retailer, said: “We pride ourselves on having one of the UK retail sector’s most competitive pay positions. We believe rewarding our colleagues fairly is a critical part of delivering growth for our business and continually improving the experience we provide for our customers.
“We also remain committed to supporting our colleagues’ professional development through our training offering – including our apprenticeship scheme which has already been completed by over 2,000 colleagues.
“These initiatives all contribute to our ambition to make B&Q a great place to work with a high-performance culture that delivers for our customers.”
Currys
Tech giant Currys is not waiting until April to boost staff pay, with the increase to £12.51 per hour effective immediately.
More than 20,000 staff will benefit from the increase, as Currys invests £8mn in its colleagues.
Paula Coughlan, chief people, communications and sustainability officer at Currys, noted: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this latest pay rise to our colleagues, which is more than double the current inflation rate.
“This demonstrates our commitment to recognising the dedication and expertise of our team, who continue to play a crucial role in ensuring our customers have access to the best technology.
“I’m determined to continue making Currys an ever-better place to work, where colleagues can build valuable skills and grow their careers.”
M&S
From 01 April, customer assistants at M&S will receive £12.60 per hour – increasing from £12. Those in London will have their hourly rate increase from £13.15 to £13.85, as the high street retailer invests £95mn in pay for over 50,000 of its employees.
Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, commented: “Following the Government’s recent increases in tax and national insurance contributions, it’s no secret that M&S and indeed the entire retail sector has some significant cost headwinds to face into in the new financial year.
“However, I have always believed that we should not allow these headwinds to impact our hourly paid colleagues, which is why today, for the third year in a row, we are making a record investment in our retail pay offer.
“This means we have now invested almost £300m in our pay over the past three years, well above the rate of inflation, in addition to our market leading discount and pension offer for colleagues.”
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