Many of Advo’s clients promote and place our Shop St. retail app as one of their central staff benefits. If an Advo client their employees and their partners have full access to Shop St. without charge.

Unlike many staff benefits that give protection and financial security, Shop St. is for everyday and has a real positive financial impact on employees day-to-day spending. Daren Stones, Shop St.’s Head of Business Development takes a look at how Shop St. can, if used effectively, deliver an above inflation pay-rise to your employees, without giving a pay rise. Daren explains more.

Why more Advo clients are making the most of their complimentary Shop St. Staff benefit.

Supporting employees’ financial wellbeing has become one of the biggest challenges facing UK employers.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 89% of adults believe the cost of living remains one of the biggest issues facing the UK, while 63% are worried about rising living costs. Around one in four households (25%) say they would be unable to meet an unexpected £850 expense, highlighting the financial pressures many employees continue to face.

At the same time, employers are managing their own financial pressures. The Bank of England reports that employment intentions remain subdued as organisations continue to face higher labour costs, squeezed profit margins and uncertainty over future pay settlements. Although the average 2026 pay settlement is around 3.5%, many employers remain cautious about committing to further increases.

Against this backdrop, many Advo clients are recognising the value of a benefit they already have access to: complimentary access to Shop St.

The equivalent of a pay rise—without increasing payroll

Shop St. helps employees make their take-home pay go further by saving money on everyday spending across hundreds of well-known retailers and household brands.

For many employees, those savings are worth up to the equivalent of a 3.4% pay rise, without employers increasing salaries, National Insurance contributions or pension costs.

Rather than increasing payroll expenditure, employers can deliver meaningful financial support simply by helping employees reduce their everyday spending.

A benefit with no additional administration

One of the biggest advantages of Shop St. is its simplicity.

There is no additional administration for employers. Employees register directly, onboarding is straightforward and the platform requires minimal involvement from HR or payroll teams. Management information is available for organisations that wish to monitor engagement, but there is no ongoing administrative burden.

This means employers can provide a valuable financial wellbeing benefit without creating additional work for already stretched HR teams.

An ideal platform for Reward & Recognition

Shop St. also provides an easy and flexible way to recognise and reward employees.

Instead of purchasing retailer-specific vouchers, employers can issue rewards through Shop St., allowing employees to choose how and where they spend them across a wide range of leading brands.

Whether recognising exceptional performance, celebrating long service or rewarding team achievements, Shop St. makes Reward & Recognition simpler to administer while giving employees far greater choice and flexibility.

Helping employees every week—not just once a year

Unlike benefits that are only used occasionally, Shop St. delivers value every time employees shop.

Savings are available across groceries, fuel, fashion, dining and other everyday purchases, helping household budgets go further throughout the year. Employees can also extend the benefit to another member of their household at no additional cost, increasing the overall value of the benefit.

For employers, this translates into stronger employee engagement, improved financial wellbeing and a benefit that employees genuinely value because they use it regularly.

Making the Most of Your Advo Partnership

As an Advo client, Shop St. is already available to your organisation on a complimentary basis.

At a time when employees continue to feel the pressure of everyday living costs and employers are looking for cost-effective ways to enhance their employee value proposition; Shop St. offers a practical solution that benefits everyone.

With no additional administration, no increase in payroll costs and the potential to deliver savings equivalent to up to a 3.4% pay rise, it’s one of the simplest ways to add meaningful value to your existing employee benefits package.

If you haven’t yet introduced Shop St. to your workforce, speak to your usual Advo contact to find out how quickly your employees can start benefiting.

You can find out more about Shop St. HERE.