Lidl is delighted to announce the opening of its 200th store on the island of Ireland. The new state of the art store, located in Tullamore Co. Offaly, brings the total number of Lidl employees on the island of Ireland to over 5,200. Hitting the 200th store mark, Lidl now welcomes over 2 million customers through its doors every week to enjoy high quality products at market leading prices. The opening of the 200th store is part of a 200 million investment in 2019, which includes 10 new store openings and the opening of a new 58,000m² distribution centre, which is currently under construction in Newbridge, Co. Kildare.
Since the opening of its first store in 1999, Lidl has come a long way and is proud to be an integral part of communities and works with a growing number of Irish suppliers. Lidl works with over 200 Irish suppliers to bring the best of fresh, local produce to its network of 200 stores on the island of Ireland. Lidl invests 700 million in sourcing Irish produce annually.
JP Scally, Managing Director at Lidl Ireland said: Today, we are proud to hit a major milestone of 200 stores on the island of Ireland. With 162 stores in the Republic, 38 stores in Northern Ireland and 2 million customers passing through our doors every week, we have established deep local relationships. At Lidl, our philosophy is centred on outstanding operational efficiency and close partnerships with suppliers, which generates savings that are passed directly back to our customers in the form of exceptionally low prices without any compromise on our high quality. Through our dedicated team and exceptional value products we will continue to strive to enhance the lives of our customers, creating shared opportunity and value, making a positive difference in the communities in which we operate.
The environment forms an important part of Lidls expansion strategy, with each new store and major refurbishment project built with sustainability in mind. Investing in long term initiatives, ensures Lidl preforms as a leading Irish retailer today, and futureproof its growing presence in Ireland for years to come.
Lidls recent market leading initiatives include;
· 1 million investment in solar power installations across Lidls store network. Solar photovoltaic systems generate approximately 25% of a stores energy requirements. Lidl also recently welcomed a grant of planning for the installation of solar panels at its distribution centre in Newbridge, Co. Kildare which will see a further 1m investment in the largest solar installation in Ireland.
· Lidl is the first Irish retailer to roll out recycling bins across its store network. This market-leading initiative offers Lidl customers the opportunity to remove any unwanted recyclable packaging and to recycle it free-of-charge in-store once they have completed their shopping, therefore avoiding any disposal costs associated with bringing the packaging home.
· Lidl Ireland has installed electric vehicle charging points to all new stores and across all major store refurbishment projects. Lidl provides the largest network of electric vehicle chargers in the Irish supermarket sector, enabling customers to charge their electric vehicles free of charge whilst they shop.
For further information on Lidl, products, opening hours and any career opportunities please visit www.lidl.ie
