Aldi has launched a massive recruitment drive and is looking to for thousands of new staff to join the team ready for Christmas.
With the festive season now practically within our sights, and most British supermarkets having already unveiled their Christmas food and drink ranges for 2023, Aldi is gearing up and preparing for what is always one of the busiest times for the retail industry by launching yet another massive recruitment drive.
Merely months after opening up dozens of new roles at its Greater Manchester distribution centre, the budget supermarket retailer is now hiring for a whopping 3,000 new staff members, both temporary and permanent, at stores right across the UK.
Aldi is recruiting thousands of new staff across the UK ready for Christmas / Credit: Aldi
The thousands of new staff will be tasked with helping to replenish stock and provide assistance to customers during the Christmas period.
Some of the roles available include Store Assistants, managerial positions, cleaners, and more.
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Starting pay for Store Assistants is industry-leading £11.40 per hour nationally, and £12.85 per hour inside the M25.
Aldi also remains the only supermarket in the UK to offer paid breaks too.
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3,000 store roles and 1,500 distribution centre roles are up for grabs / Credit: Aldi
On top of the 3,000 new store staff, Aldi is also recruiting across its Regional Distribution Centres in the UK too – including at its Greater Manchester site in Bolton – with around 1,500 roles available, including Warehouse Selectors, Logistics Assistants, and Warehouse Cleaners.
Aldi currently has over 990 UK stores and employs around 36,000 people, but the supermarket has been open about its long-term commitment to have 1,500 branches nationwide to “meet growing demand”.
This latest festive recruitment push forms part of Aldi’s nationwide expansion, with the goal of opening an average of one new store a week, every week, before Christmas is here.
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The festive recruitment push forms part of Aldi’s nationwide expansion / Credit: Aldi
“It’s never been more important to us to make affordable high-quality food accessible to all, especially at Christmas,” Aldi’s Recruitment Director, Kelly Stokes, said as the Christmas recruitment drive launches nationwide.
“That’s why we’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of new colleagues to our stores and Regional Distribution Centres over the coming months.
“Our colleagues play such a vital role in keeping our shelves stocked throughout the year, which is why we will once again be keeping our stores closed on Boxing Day as a way to say thank you for their continued hard work.”
Already being described as “the ultimate African safari experience right here in the UK”, some of the lodges will be located at the side of a lake, while others will offer views of a private savannah-style habitat that are home to Northern giraffes.
Bookings officially went live last Wednesday (29 January), and demand was “nothing short of phenomenal”, with the website crashing for a brief period and more than 550 bookings made so far.
But merely moments after this, people began hitting out at the prices for overnight stays.
Those working on the “very special” project say a stay at The Reserve will help to fund Chester Zoo’s global conservation projects.
Chester Zoo has issued a statement after people slammed the ‘totally ridiculous’ prices for safari-style lodges / Credit: Supplied
In the off-season, prices for the lodges start from £375, while one-night stays in summer start from £672.50, and then in peak season, for the more luxurious lodges, prices can go all the way up to £2,486, but it’s worth nothing that this does include guided safari tours and going behind-the-scenes with the giraffes.
“As an international wildlife charity we wholly rely on public funding to carry out our species-saving work,” a Chester Zoo spokesperson said in defence of the pricing.
“The Reserve is the latest way that people may wish to help to directly fund our global conservation projects and make a difference to the future of some amazing, but sadly endangered, species.
“A stay at The Reserve includes so much more than a room for the night.
“Packages include elements such as a range of exclusive behind-the-scenes and animal experiences, breakfast, dinner and out-of-hours access to the zoo, as well as two-day passes and the chance to view wildlife straight from your lodge balcony.”
Find out more and book your stay in the new lodges on the Chester Zoo website here.
Featured Image – Supplied
News
Three million UK workers will be getting a ‘significant’ pay rise in April
Emily Sergeant
More than three million workers across the UK are set to receive a ‘significant pay boost’ from April, the Government has announced.
Announced as part of last year’s Budget, and in a bid to “put thousands of pounds back in the pockets of working people every year”, the Government has now laid legislation this week that confirms a new National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour, and a new National Minimum Wage of £10 per hour from April onwards.
Ministers say the 6.7% increase to the National Living Wage – which will be worth £1,400 a year for an eligible full-time worker – is a “significant step” towards delivering the manifesto commitment to deliver a “genuine” living wage.
On top of this, the National Minimum Wage for 18-20-year-olds is also set to go up by a record increase of £1.40 an hour, which means full-time younger workers eligible for the rate will see their pay boosted by £2,500 a year.
This is the first time the National Living Wage has taken into account the cost of living and inflation.
We are putting more money in your pocket.
From April, millions of working people will get a pay rise.
With the Government’s end goal being to create a single adult wage rate, this increase to both the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage will put an end to age-based wage discrimination, meaning employers can no longer be justified in paying younger workers less for doing the same job as their older colleagues.
The minimum hourly wage for an apprentice is also set to be boosted this year, with an 18-year-old apprentice seeing their minimum hourly pay increase by 18% to £7.55 an hour.
As a result of all of these changes, a further four million workers also could benefit from the positive spill-over impacts of the rate increases.
Three million UK workers will be getting a ‘significant’ pay rise in April / Credit: Pexels
An impact assessment published earlier this week shows that these changes will put around £1.8 billion into the pockets of workers over the next six years, according to the Government.
“The increased income is set to boost financial stability for millions of families and improve spending power which will drive economic growth,” the Government claims.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves commented: “This Government promised a genuine living wage for working people that will support people with the cost of living, creating a workforce that is fit and ready to help us deliver number one mission to growth the economy.
Emily Sergeant -
10th October 2023 
