Fueled by aggressive growth, German discount grocer Aldi has boosted its hourly wages and is looking to hire 740 workers across Southern California ahead of the holiday season.
The local hiring is part of the Illinois-based company’s broader push to hire more than 20,000 store and warehouse employees nationwide to support operations at its more than 2,100 stores and 25 warehouses across the U.S.
The company is looking to fill openings for cashiers, seasonal cashiers, stockers, seasonal stockers and store managers, among other positions. Aldi has 75 stores in Southern California and 83 statewide. It also operates a warehouse in Moreno Valley.
“Employees come to Aldi for the competitive pay and opportunity to work for a growing national brand,” company Co-President Dave Rinaldo said in a statement. “They stay for the career potential and satisfaction they feel knowing their work makes a difference in the communities they serve.”
Higher wages
Aldi recently increased pay for store and warehouse employees. The new national average starting wages for open store and warehouse positions will be $15 and $19 per hour, respectively, based on market and positions.
Workers are eligible for a range of benefits, including health care and retirement plans, financial wellness, employee assistance programs and paid time off.
The supermarket chain — which offers a wide range of fresh foods and easy-to-prepare options, including many under the company’s private-label brands — held a grand opening last month for its first store in Torrance.
With inflation rising, consumers will likely welcome the company’s expansion. The Consumer Price Index for July showed food prices were up by 0.7%.
Fueled by pandemic-related supply logjams, rising COVID-19 infection rates among agricultural workers and increased product demand, food prices are expected to keep climbing.
The lowest prices
But shoppers can achieve significant savings at Aldi, according to Burt Flickinger III, managing director for the retail consulting firm Strategic Resource Group.
“A family of five in California could save $3,000 to $5,000 a year shopping at Aldi versus typical supermarkets,” Flickinger said. “And they could still save up to $1,500 a year compared to Target and Walmart supercenters.”
Aldi has held the title of “value leader” among U.S. grocery stores for 10 years running, according to the latest Market Force Information U.S. Grocery Competitive Study, and the past four years it has been ranked No. 1 for value pricing, according to the Dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index Report.
The company also continues to boost its e-commerce presence, and it plans to expand curbside grocery pickup service to 500 more stores, bringing the total number of curbside locations to more than 1,200.
Interested applicants can view openings in their area at careers.aldi.us/now-hiring.
COVID-19 protocols
Aldi says it will continue to require unvaccinated customers and employees to follow all appropriate safety precautions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including wearing masks and physically distancing.
Based on recent CDC guidelines, Aldi said it will require face coverings for employees in areas with substantial or high risk of transmission. And it will strongly encourage the same for shoppers, regardless of vaccination status.