John Lewis and Waitrose increase pay for store workers

John Lewis and the Co-op are both increasing minimum pay levels for employees as retailers try to keep staff and respond to the rising living wage.

Retail giants John Lewis and Waitrose, both part of the same group, have announced plans to raise pay for their store workers, exceeding the compulsory National Living Wage.

Above National Living Wage

Starting from April, store workers at John Lewis and Waitrose will see their pay increase to £11.55 per hour, with those in London receiving £12.89 per hour. This exceeds the upcoming National Living Wage, set to rise to £11.44 per hour.

Co-op Follows Suit

Following suit, the Co-op, Britain’s seventh-largest grocery chain, will increase pay for its 37,000 store workers by 10.1%, with hourly rates reaching £12 and £13.15 in London.

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Record Investment in Pay

The Co-op’s move represents its “biggest ever investment into pay,” with wages for workers increasing by more than 20% over the past two years.

Employee-Owned Businesses

Both John Lewis Partnership and the Co-op are owned by their members. John Lewis boasts 80,000 partners and is considered the largest employee-owned business in the UK.

Expansion of National Living Wage

The National Living Wage will extend to include 21 and 22-year-olds for the first time when it rises in April, prompting many supermarkets and retailers to announce pay increases.

Industry-Wide Response

Other major retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, and M&S have also committed to raising pay for their workers. 

Aldi implemented higher pay rates in February, while Lidl and Sainsbury’s initiated wage increases in March. M&S workers will see a pay rise starting April, and Asda plans an interim increase in April before further raising rates in July.