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Pay13 min read · 13 October 2026 · Updated 28 September 202629 reads

Retail pay in 2026: what shop and supermarket jobs pay

The legal minimum pay from April 2026, what the big supermarkets pay per hour, London rates, extra pay for nights and Sundays, and how pay rises happen.

By UK Retail Jobs editorial team — We write plain-English guides to finding and doing retail work in the UK. Every figure is checked against a named source.

A supermarket worker in a plain maroon fleece holds a jar of pasta sauce in a brightly lit UK supermarket aisle of dry food.

Most shop and supermarket jobs in the UK are paid by the hour. In 2026 the legal minimum for anyone aged 21 or over is £12.71 an hour, and the biggest supermarkets pay more than that, roughly £13.00 to £13.50 outside London. This guide sets out the legal rates, what the big retailers say they pay, how London pay differs, when you get extra, and how pay rises happen.

Every retailer figure below comes from that retailer's own announcement, unless we say it was reported by someone else. Pay changes often, so each figure says when we checked it.

What is the lowest legal pay for a retail job in 2026?

The lowest pay you can legally get depends on your age. The rates below apply from 1 April 2026 and are the same for shops, warehouses and every other kind of work.

Your age or statusMinimum hourly pay from 1 April 2026Rate from April 2025 to March 2026
21 and over (National Living Wage)£12.71£12.21
18 to 20£10.85£10.00
Under 18£8.00£7.55
Apprentice (under 19, or in the first year)£8.00£7.55

The biggest jump this year was for 18 to 20 year olds. Their rate went up by 8.5%, compared with 4.1% for the National Living Wage. That gap is closing on purpose, as the government plans to bring the younger rate in line with the adult one over time.

Who gets the apprentice rate?

The apprentice rate only applies if you are under 19, or if you are 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. Once you are 19 or over and have finished that first year, you must get at least the normal minimum for your age.

Are there any exceptions?

Almost every worker is covered, and the size of the business makes no difference. A small corner shop must pay the same legal minimum as a national chain. The main groups left out are people such as the self-employed, company directors and volunteers.

What do the big supermarkets pay?

The big supermarkets all pay above the legal minimum for their standard store roles. When we checked in September 2026, their published starting rates outside London ranged from £13.00 to £13.50 an hour.

RetailerStarting hourly rate (outside London)Date it startedWith length of service
Aldi (store assistants)£13.501 April 2026Up to £14.47
Lidl (entry level)£13.451 March 2026Up to £14.45
Marks & Spencer (customer assistants)£13.411 April 2026Not published
Tesco (stores and online fulfilment centres)£13.2829 March 2026Not published
Sainsbury's£13.23March 2026Not published
Asda (reported by Personnel Today)£13.105 July 2026Not published
Morrisons (customer assistants)£13.00, rising to £13.11 on 26 October 202620 July 2026Not published

These are the rates the retailers announced for their main hourly-paid store roles. Other jobs, such as supervisors, bakers or drivers, are often paid on a different rate. The advert for each job is the best guide to what that job pays.

What "length of service" means

Aldi and Lidl both pay more once you have worked for them for a while. You start on the entry rate and move up in steps. The retailers do not all say how long each step takes, so ask at the interview if it matters to you.

Seasonal jobs can pay differently

Christmas and other short-term jobs do not always pay the same as permanent roles. For example, the John Lewis Partnership says its Christmas 2026 seasonal roles start at £13.00 an hour, rising to £13.25 after 30 days. Our Christmas retail jobs guide has more on seasonal pay.

If you are weighing up the discount supermarkets, our guide on how to get a job at Aldi explains how its hiring works.

How much more do retail jobs pay in London?

Most big retailers pay extra in London, usually about £1.25 to £1.40 an hour more. Some add a separate London allowance on top of the normal rate. Others simply set a higher London rate.

RetailerLondon hourly rateHow the retailer describes it
Aldi£14.88 (up to £15.20 with length of service)Inside the M25
Lidl£14.80 (up to £15.30 with length of service)Inside the M25
Marks & Spencer£14.74London
Tesco£14.55Within the M25
Sainsbury's£14.54London
Asda (reported by Personnel Today)£14.35Inside the M25

Tesco's figure is made up of its standard £13.28 rate plus a London Location Allowance, which went up from £1.21 to £1.27 an hour this year.

Is there a legal London minimum wage?

No. The legal minimum is the same across the whole UK. The separate London Living Wage of £14.80 an hour for 2025 to 2026 is set by the Living Wage Foundation, and employers only pay it if they choose to.

Does "London" always mean the same thing?

Not quite. Several retailers use the M25 as the line, but not all of them spell it out. If a store is near the edge of London, check the advert or ask which rate applies. A shop just outside the boundary may pay the national rate.

A shop worker in a plain navy jacket stands outside a small city-centre supermarket on a busy London street at dusk.
Many big retailers pay more inside the M25, but check the advert to see which rate a store uses.

Do you get extra pay for nights, Sundays or overtime?

Only if your contract says so. The law does not give you a higher rate for nights, Sundays or overtime. Some employers choose to pay extra for some of these, but it is their choice, not a legal rule.

Night shifts

GOV.UK is clear that the minimum wage applies to night workers, but there is no higher legal night rate. You count as a night worker if you regularly work at least 3 hours between 11pm and 6am. Some employers pay more for night work, so compare adverts. You can browse night shift retail jobs to see what different employers offer.

Sundays

There is no legal Sunday rate. You only get more if your contract promises it. Most shop workers can also choose to opt out of Sunday work, unless Sunday is the only day they were hired to work. GOV.UK explains how to opt out and how much notice you need to give.

An older shop worker in a plain teal cardigan unlocks the glass doors of a UK supermarket early on a quiet Sunday morning.
There is no legal Sunday rate. You only get extra for Sunday work if your contract says so.

Overtime

Your employer does not have to pay a higher rate for overtime. But add up everything you are paid, divide it by all the hours you worked, and the answer must still reach the minimum wage for your age. If you work extra hours for free, that figure can drop below the legal line.

A trap to watch for

Extra pay for unsocial hours does not count towards the minimum wage. So an employer cannot pay you less than £12.71 an hour and then use a night premium to make up the difference. Your basic rate must meet the minimum by itself.

What does hourly pay add up to each week?

Your weekly pay is your hourly rate times your hours. This table shows the National Living Wage of £12.71 at some common contract lengths. These are our own sums, before tax, National Insurance and any pension.

Hours a weekWeekly pay at £12.71 an hourTypical type of contract
16£203.36Part-time, often evenings or weekends
24£305.04Part-time, three 8-hour shifts
37.5£476.63Full-time

The hours on your contract matter as much as the rate. A job paying 30p an hour more on 16 hours earns less than a lower rate on 24 hours. If you are planning your money around shift work, our post on budgeting on hourly pay has practical tips.

A young man in a plain work fleece sits at a kitchen table with a calculator and a notebook, working out his weekly pay after a shift.
Your weekly pay is your hourly rate times your contracted hours, so check both before you accept a job.

Things that lower your take-home pay

Tax, National Insurance and a workplace pension all come out of your gross pay. Some costs can also count against minimum wage rules. For example, if you have to buy tools or a uniform for the job and are not paid back, that cost reduces your pay when working out whether you got the minimum.

How do retail pay rises happen?

Retail pay tends to change each spring. The legal minimum rises every April, and every big supermarket we checked started a 2026 rise in March or April.

Step 1: the Low Pay Commission recommends

The Low Pay Commission is an independent body whose commissioners come from employer, worker and academic backgrounds. Each autumn it recommends new minimum rates to the government. For the April 2026 rates, it made its recommendations in October 2025 and the government accepted them.

For April 2027, the government asked the Commission to report in October 2026. It told the Commission that two-thirds of median hourly earnings should stay the key reference point for the adult rate. The new rates are then published and start on 1 April.

Step 2: retailers set their own rates

Many big retailers announce their pay rise early in the year, ready for spring. In 2026, Sainsbury's announced its rise in January. Lidl and Aldi announced theirs in February, and M&S and Tesco in March.

Some retailers split their rise into stages. Asda raised pay in April and again in July. Morrisons is paying its 2026 rise in three steps, with the last one due on 26 October 2026.

Step 3: union deals

At some retailers, pay is agreed with a trade union. Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons all worked with the shopworkers' union Usdaw on their 2026 pay. At Morrisons, union members voted 91.87% in favour of the deal. If your workplace recognises a union, it may bargain for your pay rise.

The Real Living Wage

The Living Wage Foundation sets a voluntary Real Living Wage based on the cost of living. It is £13.45 an hour across the UK and £14.80 in London for 2025 to 2026. The foundation says its 2026 to 2027 rates will be announced on 15 October 2026. Employers that sign up have until 1 May 2027 to pay them.

How can you check a job's pay before you apply?

Look for the hourly rate and the hours on the advert, then check both against the legal minimum. A good advert shows the pay with its unit, such as "per hour" or "per year".

  • Check the unit. Some adverts show pay per hour and others per year. Always compare like with like.
  • Check the hours. Look for the contracted hours each week, not just "up to" a number.
  • Ask about premiums. If a job involves nights or Sundays, ask whether the rate goes up.
  • Ask about length-of-service steps. Find out when your rate will rise and by how much.
  • Check the date. Pay changes every year, so an old advert may show an old rate.

On UK Retail Jobs, we show pay with its unit on every job that lists it. We link each job back to the retailer, so you can check the details at the source. You can read how we check our facts in our editorial policy.

What if you are paid less than the minimum?

Talk to your manager or HR team first, as it may be a mistake. If it is not put right, Acas gives free, confidential advice on 0300 123 1100. Complaints about minimum wage go to HMRC, and you can also complain on behalf of someone else.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage for a 17 year old in a shop?

It is £8.00 an hour from 1 April 2026. Many big retailers pay more than the legal minimum, so check the advert. Some retailers also have a minimum age for certain roles.

Which supermarket pays the most?

Of the supermarkets we checked in September 2026, Aldi had the highest published starting rate outside London, at £13.50 an hour. Lidl was close behind at £13.45. Both pay more with length of service. Rates change every year, so check again before you apply.

Do part-time retail workers get the same hourly rate?

Usually, yes. GOV.UK says part-time workers should get the same treatment on pay rates as comparable full-time staff. The difference is in the number of hours, and so in the weekly total.

When will the minimum wage go up next?

The rates change on 1 April every year. The Low Pay Commission is due to recommend the April 2027 rates in October 2026. We will update this guide once the new rates are confirmed.

Is the London Living Wage the law?

No. The only legal minimum is the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage, which are the same across the UK. The London Living Wage is voluntary. Some employers choose to pay it.

Find retail jobs that show the pay

We collect retail jobs from retailers' careers sites and job boards and show the pay with its unit wherever the advert lists it. Try our supermarket jobs search to compare rates near you. A membership adds job alerts and a tracker, so you can keep an eye on better-paid roles as they come up.

_This is general information, not legal or careers advice. Check the retailer's advert and the official source before you act._

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information, not legal or careers advice. Check the retailer's advert and the official source before you act. Looking for a role? Browse retail jobs.

Where to look next

Vacancies on this topic

Customer assistant jobsRetail supervisor jobsPermanent retail jobsTemporary retail jobsFixed term retail jobs

Last reviewed 28 September 2026.

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