Lidl Northern Ireland digs in to create new £7million flagship store in south Belfast

Lidl Northern Ireland has started construction work on the site of its new South Belfast flagship store.

Located in the Boucher Road retail area, the state-of-the-art ‘concept’ store will add an extra 40 permanent jobs to its regional 1,300-strong workforce. Up to 120 temporary jobs will also be supported during the development phase which got underway this week with contractors Ganson UK breaking ground to develop the 2,288 sqm retail unit.

Positioned on derelict land at Windsor Way to the left of Olympia Leisure Centre, the refurbished site will also include an adjacent 148-space customer car park, complete with EV charging stations, redeveloping land in front of Olympia’s football pitches.

Planning permission for the new store – its 10th within the Greater Belfast area – was approved by Belfast City Council last year and will bring its total Northern Ireland store count to 43 by the end of 2024, now that construction work is also under way on the new £6.5 million store that will anchor Carryduff Shopping Centre. Around 35 permanent jobs will be created in Carryduff when the store is completed later this year – on top of 120 construction jobs over the next six months.

The announcement marks a new drive for Lidl Northern Ireland in delivering on its ambitious plans to open 50 stores across the region by the end of the decade, whilst also investing in upgrading its existing store network.

In the Greater Belfast area, Lidl Northern Ireland already has stores at High Street in the city centre, Castlereagh Road, Crumlin Road, Holywood Exchange, Shore Road, Connswater, Stewartstown and Dundonald. The retailer, which opened a new Strabane store in December is also progressing new store developments in Cookstown, Dungannon and Coleraine as part of a major planned investment across its growing Northern Ireland network.

Earlier this month, Lidl Northern Ireland announced it has submitted planning applications to position new stores at Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon and adjacent to Bloomfield Shopping Centre in Bangor. Both will replace longstanding nearby outlets with all-new, brighter, larger and modern retail outlets.

Lidl Northern Ireland managing director Ivan Ryan, said: “We’re delighted to kick off 2024 with a number of key expansion projects and are quickly advancing our plans for our first store in South Belfast. This new store on Boucher Road will bring major investment to the locality and will create new jobs and bring real choice, quality and the best value to residents and visitors to this part of the city.

“The highly anticipated Boucher Road store will be a welcome addition to the busy retail estate and it further expands our presence across all four corners of the city. We’re delighted to soon be able to serve the south Belfast community at this iconic site next to the region’s most prestigious National Football Stadium.

“We’re also really pleased that new store plans in Carryduff are now progressing, and we look forward to celebrating its opening and to welcoming new colleagues and customers in both locations this year.”

Built to exacting standards, the new Lidl Northern Ireland store at Boucher Road will reflect the retailer’s established ‘concept’ design, which prioritises sustainability and energy efficiency. A modern fit-out will provide high-quality shopping experience, with wide aisles, an in-store bakery, longer till points, enhanced restrooms and employee facilities.

Lidl Northern Ireland said that its new Carryduff store would boast similar features that include a 1,420 sq. metre sales floor and parking for more than 200 vehicles.

Last year, Lidl Northern Ireland sourced a record £455 million worth of product from local agri-food suppliers, more than 30% more than the year before – most of which was exported through its international store network in the UK, Ireland, Europe and beyond.

Established in 1999 when it opened its first store in Cookstown, Lidl Northern Ireland marks 25 years in the region this year. It now holds a 9.1 percent market share in Northern Ireland, and has seen the strongest growth amongst all retailers, up 21.3% year-on-year, according to retail information analysts Kantar.