Lidl GB has announced a £29m staff pay investment, which it says will “once again” make it the highest paying UK supermarket.

The changes, which will be introduced on 1 March, will benefit all 35,000 of the supermarket’s salaried and hourly paid workers across the country.

It will mean the retailer’s entry-level hourly pay will rise to £13.45 nationally, increasing to £14.45 with length of service. While in London, hourly pay will grow from £14.35 to £14.80, rising further to £15.30 with length of service.

The news marks the seventh pay rise announcement from the discounter since 2023.

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Lidl said its staff had become the only workers within the industry to benefit from the Real Living Wage nationwide and the London Living Wage.

Alongside pay, Lidl is doubling its paternity leave from two to four weeks on full pay. After five years of service, staff will be entitled to eight weeks’ full pay.

Lidl GB chief people officer Stephanie Rogers said: “We’re delighted to offer these family leave enhancements for new parents.

“These improvements build on our extension of paid maternity leave and further demonstrate our ongoing commitment to providing competitive and meaningful benefits to our colleagues.”

She added: “We believe that a longer period of paid paternity leave is a vital step on our journey towards gender equality in the workplace.”

“By encouraging the taking of paternity leave, particularly by our more senior male colleagues, stretch and development opportunities will be opened up for others.”