German-owned supermarket chain Aldi has announced plans to create 6,000 new jobs in the UK this year.
The staff will be recruited for its distribution centres, as well as a number of new stores.
Aldi currently has 40,000 staff and 990 stores in Britain, including eight outlets in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.
Stonehaven is among 20 Scottish locations it is targeting for new stores.
Last year, the firm overtook Morrisons to become the UK's fourth-largest-supermarket chain.
Its store assistants receive a starting pay of £11 an hour in most parts of the UK and £12.75 within the M25. Warehouse staff get a minimum starting salary of £13.18 an hour. Store managers have salaries of up to £63,000 a year.
Paying well
Aldi UK communications director Richard Thornton told the BBC the company "prides itself" on paying well and "prioritising value".
The discount retailer reported double-digit sales growth for its strong Christmas sales period as the cost-of-living crisis continued to bite.
"What we're seeing is shoppers prioritising value like never before - we attracted 1.3million new customers in the last three months alone," added Mr Thornton.
Aldi has been expanding and growing its market share in the UK over the past decade, and said it had invested more than £700million in expansion last year.
The cost-of-living crisis has helped to further drive the growth of discount retailers, which were already expanding strongly.
Both Aldi and Lidl are opening new stores, which is driving extra sales. Meanwhile, prices are also rising, pushing up the value of sales.
Consumers are buying fewer big brands and putting cheaper own-label products in their shopping baskets instead.
FTSE 100
The UK's top share index was down 32 points shortly after opening this morning.
The FTSE 100 had consolidated above 8,000 on Thursday, finishing 14 points higher at 8,012 - another record close.
AJ Bell's head of financial analysis Danni Hewson told Proactive Investors: "It might be a purely psychological milestone, but when London's blue-chip index is on this kind of a roll investors sit up and take notice.
"2022 was a torrid year and many people were left feeling pretty bereft as they watched their investments get scorched by inflation, rate rises and dwindling consumer confidence.
"Those with time in the market understood that the down cycle would end and, whilst there are still huge issues facing the UK economy, the FTSE 100 is leading by example."
Brent crude futures slipped 1.12% to $84.17 a barrel.
Companies reporting today
- Full-year results: NatWest Group