Lidl NI plans new £4m concept store in Omagh supporting 200 jobs

Planning application lodged to create modern concept store at James Street site which will double its size

Lidl Northern Ireland has submitted plans to create a new, state-of-the-art concept store at its existing site on James Street, Omagh, as part of £4 million investment which will add 15 additional new retail jobs this year. The modernisation plans will also support a further 200 jobs during construction and development.

Located at the busy junction of Dromore Road and James Street, the store will occupy an entire space of 2,205 sq. metres – more than double the size of its existing store – which will include an expansive sales floor of 1,420 sq. metres.

The planning application lodged with Fermanagh & Omagh District Council will see the demolition of a neighbouring pub and private dwelling to make way for the expansion on a site that will also incorporate a 125-space car park with two electric vehicle charging points and new, complementary landscaping.

Construction plans encompass Lidl Northern Ireland’s bold ‘concept’ design which prioritises sustainability, spacious, wide aisles, long tills, restrooms, employee and baby-changing facilities which will dramatically enhance a high-quality shopping experience. The site will also include a large warehouse and improved employee welfare facilities.

The application follows an extensive local consultation of the plans undertaken in September 2020 which was positively received by local representatives and the wider community.

Since the Omagh store first opened in 2003, Lidl Northern Ireland has played a key role serving and supporting the local community.

Now the region’s fastest-growing supermarket, Lidl Northern Ireland is engaged in a programme to redevelop and enhance and rejuvenate existing older stores, which previously included a renovation programme at the Omagh location in 2013.

Outlining the replacement store plans as well as the boost to the local economy, Conor Boyle, Regional Director for Lidl Northern Ireland added that they ‘hope to receive planning permission for the site in the coming weeks’.

He continued: “We are delighted to confirm plans for a replacement store in Omagh which will see the existing store at James Street in the town double in size to provide a dramatically-enhanced shopping experience and new jobs for the area.

“Centrally located in the west of the region, the Omagh store serves a burgeoning and thriving community base and is conveniently positioned next to the A5 which is a major primary route and commuter corridor. As a major investor in our communities and in our local economy, the Omagh store is an important location for us, and I am thrilled to reaffirm our commitment to the local area as part of this multimillion-pound investment.

“We hope to receive planning permission for the site in the coming weeks and we look forward to opening the brand new, state-of-the-art Lidl store later this year, bringing shoppers even more choice of quality products at unbeatable value.”

The news comes after Lidl Northern Ireland confirmed an investment of more than £26 million into the North West region earlier this year, with three new stores planned at Strabane Shopping Centre in County Tyrone and two stores in Londonderry at Buncrana Road and Crescent Link shopping centre.

The company employs more than 1,300 staff across its 41-strong store network and Regional Distribution Centre in Nutt’s Corner, Co. Antrim, and recently announced its recruitment of an additional 170 employees this year.

It is estimated that Lidl Northern Ireland contributes around £180 million a year to the local economy, sustaining over 3,500 jobs while buying and exporting as much as £290 million worth of local goods and products.

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