Lidl returns to Dundonald with new store

Following their success over the festive period, a new Lidl store is set to open in Dundonald.

A total investment of nearly £7m is set for Lidl’s 39th store in Northern Ireland, the Belfast Telegraph has reported.

The new store is set to be over 2000 square metres, taking on a similar design to other larger supermarkets of its kind around Northern Ireland.

The German supermarket is set to demolish an existing building in Dundonald to make way for a new food store on Dunlady Road.

It’s expected the new store will create around 20 jobs, with at least 40 people employed in the construction phase.

According to figures from Kantar Worldpanel, UK consumers spent an extra £450m on groceries over the festive period compared to last year.

The two supermarkets who came out on top were ALDI and Lidl, with two-thirds of households shopping at either of the stores over Christmas. Asda followed closely behind.

Tesco is currently the most dominant supermarket chain in Northern Ireland, claiming around 50 stores across the country. However, with the new site plan underway, Lidl’s store count is now not far behind their competitor.

Figures from the Belfast Telegraph revealed that although its 5.8% market share is well behind Tesco’s 35.3%, Lidl continues to be Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing retailer, with sales rising by 9% last year.

The move by Lidl will see it return to Dundonald for the first time in almost eight years.