Five new Lidl stores with £32m investment pledged
Lidl Northern Ireland has revealed plans to invest more than £32 million in five brand new stores across the Belfast City Region that will directly create 100 new permanent jobs with the retailer and support up to 1,000 jobs in the locality during the development and construction phases.
Investment drive
Lidl said the investment drive was part of a long-term plan to grow its store network to 50 stores in Northern Ireland and provide a multi-million-pound boost for the region.
An independent review of its operations published by Oxford Economics last year showed that Lidl Northern Ireland already contributes around £180 million annually to the local economy and sustains more than 3,500 jobs.
The line-up of new stores will include locations in Castlereagh Road, Hillview Retail Park on Crumlin Road, Boucher Road, Holywood Exchange and Shore Road.
‘Concept’ approach
The state-of-the-art stores will each be around 2,100 square meters in size and are designed in line with Lidl Northern Ireland’s new ‘concept’ approach featuring a larger, modern and spacious fit-out with a significant emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency.
All of Lidl’s new stores are expected to open before the end of 2022. Holywood Exchange opened its doors on Thursday 26th November, bringing its current tally to 40. Lidl Northern Ireland opened its first store in Cookstown in 1999.
Sport for Good
Last month, Lidl Northern Ireland confirmed that it had raised more than £400,000 for NSPCC Northern Ireland as part of a longstanding charity partnership and pledged to raise £200,000 more by 2022. Last year, it invested £160,000 in 38 sporting organisations across the region as part of its Sport for Good programme.
Local food producers
The company buys around £300 million worth of goods from Northern Ireland annually, much of which is for export to thousands of Lidl’s stores throughout Europe. It also supports local food producers through its Kick Start supplier development programme and has already helped to showcase quality Northern Irish products from more than 30 local suppliers to date.
