Wickes, which has more than 230 stores across the UK, has just added a new £13 rule to all of its stores in the UK. This is great news for its employees.
The hardware store has raised the minimum hourly pay for all retail assistants in England, Scotland, and Wales to almost £13 as of this week (April 1). The National Living Wage for people 21 and older went up to £12.71 on Wednesday. The hourly pay for 18- to 20-year-olds who earn less than the new National Minimum Wage went up to £10.85. Apprentices and people under 18 will get at least £8 per hour.
David Wood, the CEO, said that DIY in the UK is “distinctive” because there are so many bad homes that are usually “owner-occupied and a really important financial asset.”
He went on to say, “They are the oldest homes in all of Europe, so they need constant repair, maintenance, and improvement.”
Wickes’ sales went up 6% to £1.6 billion, and its pre-tax profit went up from £23 million to £49 million in the year ending December 27, 2025.
Wood said, “This has been another year of strong progress toward our goals.” We have grown in all three areas of the business because our strong offer continues to appeal to customers.
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“We have decided to speed up our investment for future growth because our proven store refit and new store rollout strategy has given us strong returns on our investments.
“This will help us reach our goal of opening 300 stores across the UK, which will create more than 2,000 new jobs as we bring Wickes’ unique products to new areas.”
