Lidl staff in Deeside to receive full living wage – while plans are submitted to expand the Mold store

Staff at Deeside Lidl are set to become the highest paid in the supermarket sector next month as 9000 Lidl employees across Britain receive a pay rise of at least 14 percent taking average pay above the proposed living wage.

German-owned Lidl, along with Aldi has been battering the UK’s big four Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons grabbing a hefty chunk of market share, they said that from Oct. 1 its employees will receive a minimum of £8.20 pounds an hour across England, Scotland and Wales and £9.35 pounds an hour in London.

“Lidl employees will be amongst the best paid in the supermarket sector,” said Chief Executive Ronny Gottschlich.

The company said the average wage increase of £1,200 pounds per year, with 53 percent of Lidl UK’s 17,000 workforce and all age brackets benefiting.

Lidl already pays workers outside of London a minimum of £7.30 an hour, while those in the capital get at least £8.03 an hour, the proposed pay rise will cost it an additional £9 million a year.

The new levels are above a compulsory “national living wage” which the British government is introducing next April for workers aged over 25.

Market leader Tesco pays an hourly rate of £7.39, Asda will pay £7.00 from Oct. 1, while Aldi pays £8.15.

Mold Store Extension Plans

Meanwhile Lidl have submitted plans to extend and refurbish its Mold store.

The supermarket wants to construct an extension to the front and side of the existing store along with internal and external modernisation works to all ‘elevations and internals’

The proposals are to extend the existing sales floor area allowing additional sale floor space for increasing demand; in addition the side of the store will have a ‘Backnische bakery’

Externally the car parking area is to be increased to the north to provide additional vehicle parking spaces, to the south the existing vehicle access will be maintained, however the car park area will be reconfigured to accommodate the proposed front extension to the store.

Earlier this year survey teams were seen boring holes on Queensferry Lidl car park prompting speculation work was to begin on an extension at the Deeside store however, Lidl told us they are just looking at at different ways to improve their current estate of stores.

A Lidl spokesperson told us:

“As part of Lidl UK’s ongoing expansion plans we are always looking at different ways to improve our existing stores. The works pictured is our engineers conducting ground investigations. The enquiry was purely exploratory and we have no set plans in place at this stage.”

With rival German supermarket chain Aldi looking to occupy the vacant Somerfield site in Connah’s Quay, Lidl will be desperate to defend its position in Deeside as the discount supermarket giants go ‘toe to toe’ in the race to expand, both have ambitious growth plans and are outpacing the UK’s “big four” supermarkets in terms of growth.

Mold Lidl Planning documents: