Lidl NI unveils £6m state-of-the-art Portadown store

Lidl NI has officially opened its brand-new anchor store at High Street Mall in Portadown, boosting the transformation of the popular town centre shopping destination and cementing the retailer’s commitment to the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon borough.

The new store opening injects an investment of £6 million directly into the local area, creating 20 permanent retail jobs. A further 100 jobs were also supported during the planning and construction phases.

The new Lidl NoI store is a welcome boost for High Street Mall which has recently invested £4 million into revitalising the popular town centre shopping destination. This includes a new shopping centre layout, enhanced parking, greater town centre access and a new pedestrianized central plaza with modern landscaping.

Spanning a total 2,446 sq. m area, the relocated store incorporates an expansive sales floor area measuring 1,487 sq. m built to the retailer’s established ‘Concept’ design which prioritises sustainability, spacious, wide aisles, long tills, restrooms, staff and baby-changing facilities to dramatically enhance a high-quality shopping experience.

The store was opened today (Thursday) by schoolchildren from nearby Portadown Integrated Primary School, St John the Baptist Primary School and Edenderry Primary School who officially cut the ribbon and welcomed the first customers inside. The local schools were also presented with £500 each in vouchers to spend in the brand-new store.

High Street Mall occupies a landmark position the heart of Portadown town and is home to big name retailers such as Home Bargains, Greggs, Holland & Barrett, Superdrug and The Works.

Nicola Fullen, High Street Mall Store Manager at Lidl Northern Ireland, said: “High Street Mall is an outstanding location serving a busy local community and we’re delighted to welcome shoppers to our brand new, state-of-the-art store today. Not only can shoppers enjoy an expanded, state-of-the-art store, but its outstanding location within a newly transformed shopping precinct provides a superior shopping experience.

“We’re excited to welcome even more customers to avail of our Big on Quality, Lidl on Price proposition which has resonated so well with communities across the region and, with the newly launched Lidl Plus App, there is even more opportunity for savings. We look forward to welcoming everyone through our doors soon.”

Committed to supporting the local community, Lidl NI donated £500 of vouchers to local charities Portadown Cares and Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention as part of the launch of the new store.

Chairman of Portadown Cares, David Taylor, added: “We have been able to provide a wide variety of fresh food to our local community on an almost daily basis, and therefore reduce the level of food poverty we have witnessed.”

Lidl NI’s latest store opening is part of a wider plan drive major improvements across its service provision and reflects its commitment to a major multi-million-pound investment programme to expand and enhance its store count to 50 by the end of the decade.

Earlier this year, Lidl NI also confirmed it had struck a new partnership deal with Portadown-based horticulturalist Greenisland Flowers which will ship more than four million stems of freshly cut tulips, lilies and scented stocks to its 202 stores in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

With over 40 employees, the Portadown-based company which has two sites across six hectares in Craigavon has been growing retail-ready fresh flowers for over 18 years and this latest contract will take its longstanding relationship with Lidl Northern Ireland up to 2022.

Lidl NI contributes around £180 million a year to the local economy, sustaining 3,500 jobs while buying and exporting as much as £290 million worth of local goods and products.

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