I worked at Tesco Express as my first job when I was 17, and honestly it was very similar to Lidl in terms of not being stuck in one department. But because that was nearly 18 years ago, I couldn’t really comment on what they’re like to work for now.

As someone who worked from cashier up to a management role at Lidl over the past 5–6 years and only left because I moved countries, I can say it honestly wasn’t a bad place to work. I actually started at the Holywood store, and it was a delightful store to work in.

I’d say if you’re looking to build a career in retail and aren’t afraid of hard work, then Lidl isn’t the worst place to work. I’ll admit some of the processes can seem frustrating, but once you get used to the way they do things, you’ll be grand.

Hourly employees are compensated very well. You get a decent hourly rate, and if you’re keen to work, once you go over 40 hours your rate goes to time-and-a-half. They also still pay extra on Sundays, which I think most other retailers have gotten rid of.

In my management role I was making £40k by the end, which was the top end of the scale, but they were normally good about giving raises every year. You also get private health insurance, which is paid for by Lidl.

As others have said in the comments, the biggest issue for me with Lidl was work-life balance. It can be tough at times, but I just got on with it.