Asda has confirmed a significant pay rise for its hourly-paid retail colleagues across the UK, with rates increasing to £13.10 per hour from 5 July 2026. The supermarket giant announced that 110,000 employees in Asda Retail and Asda Express stores will benefit from a 4% above-inflation pay award, delivered in two stages.
Pay Rise Timeline and Details
The pay increase will be implemented in two phases. On 1 April 2026, the base rate will rise to £12.71 per hour, followed by a further increase to £13.10 per hour on 5 July 2026. For colleagues working in stores inside the M25 motorway, the hourly rate will be even higher, reaching £13.93 in April and £14.35 in July. This 2026 pay award represents an £80 million investment by Asda.
Long-Term Investment in Staff
Since Asda's acquisition by TDR Capital and the Issa brothers in 2021, total investment in retail pay has reached £575 million. Over this period, hourly pay rates have increased by approximately 40%, rising from £9.36 in 2021 to £13.10 in 2026. James Goodman, Chief People Officer at Asda, commented: 'Our store-based colleagues are at the core of our business and the role they play serving customers is central to our Formula for Growth turnaround plan. I’m pleased we’ve been able to give them an above-inflation pay award and invest in this way. I’d also like to thank them for their continued hard work and commitment to making Asda better every day.'
New Commercial Appointment
In related news, Asda has announced the appointment of Jon Downes as Vice President of Ambient, further strengthening its commercial senior leadership team. Jon will join the business in June and report to Darren Blackhurst, Chief Commercial Officer. Jon brings extensive experience from previous roles at Tesco, Morrisons, and most recently M&S, where he served as Food Commercial Operations Director since 2024. Darren Blackhurst expressed enthusiasm about the appointment, stating: 'Jon brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record of delivering commercial outcomes that create value for customers, colleagues and suppliers alike. I’m looking forward to working with him as we continue to strengthen our commercial proposition.'
