Lidl to invest €550m in Ireland over three years

The supermarket has invested over €1.7bn in its Irish operations since entering the country in 2000

Lidl has a 12.9% share of the Irish market.

Lidl plans to invest a further €550m in Ireland over the next three years.

The German-owned discount supermarket chain said the investment will cover the opening of 20 new stores, the redevelopment of 24 existing stores and a €75m upgrade to its regional distribution centre in Mullingar.

Lidl has invested more than €1.7bn in its Irish operations since entering the country in 2000. 

It currently employs more than 5,000 people across 160 stores, three regional distribution centres and its Dublin head office for Lidl Ireland.

Additionally, in an update on its economic value to Ireland, Lidl said it contributed €692m to Irish GDP in 2019.

“It is not just the impact that is felt at a macro level that we value, but also that we have impact in our communities, with our colleagues and through the relationships we have with our more than 260 Irish food suppliers,” said Lidl Ireland chief executive JP Scally.

Irish grocery market figures, from research group Kantar, last week showed combined Irish supermarket sales fell nearly 6% over the 12 weeks to mid-June, with all players seeing a decline.

However, they showed Lidl with a 12.9% share of the Irish market; slightly higher than its immediate rival Aldi.

“Both Aldi and Lidl benefited from the return to stores and slight shift away from online shopping this period,” Kantar said.

Recent figures from Kantar also showed that Lidl’s global brand value now stands at almost $12bn (€10bn), with Aldi worth over $17bn worldwide.