Lidl NI reveals plans for Hugo Duncan to open new £8million Northern Ireland store next week

Lidl Northern Ireland will mark a key milestone in Strabane when it opens the new £8 million future-focused flagship store at Strabane Retail Park that will anchor its wider multimillion-pound investment plans for the site.

Backed by popular local broadcaster and singer Hugo Duncan, who will join Lidl Northern Ireland’s local teams to kick off the official opening celebrations on Thursday, December 7, the new store forms part of Lidl NI’s longstanding commitment to drive a £26 million investment in the north west, create new jobs and support more local suppliers.

Its new store at Branch Road will also act as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of Strabane Retail Park – a key component in advancing its vision and plans for the site while bringing even more quality, value and choice for local shoppers in a bright, modern ‘Concept’ building that prioritises sustainability.

Construction of the new sustainable, solar-powered store got underway earlier this year and supported over 150 jobs during the development phase. The store sits within a site of around 2,100 sq. metres and boasts a giant-sized sales floor of 1,420 sq. metres.

Lidl NI regional managing director Ivan Ryan, said: “Our newest store in Strabane underscores our commitment to our customers, our employees and the whole community to deliver even greater choice and real value while continuing to strategically invest for the future, unlock growth and drive potential.

“We’re excited to be further expanding our ‘Big on Quality, Lidl on Price’ offering and we’d like to thank everyone for continuing to support us in our plans. We look forward to welcoming our customers to our new state-of-the-art store from December 7 to discover our award-winning range at best-value prices as the countdown to Christmas gets under way.”

The new Strabane store reflects Lidl NI’s bright, modern and spacious design concept, incorporating wider aisles, long tills, restrooms and baby-changing facilities as well as an in-store bakery and redeveloped parking for 130 vehicles.

The launch event will include an appearance from Hugo Duncan and his band Country Harmony, which will officially open the store and welcome the first customers through the door. The new Lidl NI store at Strabane Retail Park will open at 8am.

Speaking ahead of the official opening, Hugo Duncan, one of Northern Ireland’s most popular broadcasters and entertainers, explained: “To be involved in the opening of the new Lidl Strabane store is an honour for me, Strabane is my hometown, where I was born and bred. The new store is a great addition to the local area, with a fantastic range of high-quality products at great value. I’m looking forward to getting in myself to grab some opening day deals for the weekly shop on Thursday, December 7.”

Earlier this year, Lidl NI confirmed it had ploughed a record £4 million into the Derry City and Strabane District Council agri-food sector in the last financial year ending February 2023. It also employs more than 70 people across two stores in area.

The new store opening is part of Lidl Northern Ireland’s long-term plan to grow its store network to 50 by 2030 and bring its ‘Big on Quality, Lidl on Price’ proposition to more shoppers across the region.

Confirmed as Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket by Kantar, Lidl NI now holds 9.2% market share in the region after seeing the strongest growth amongst all retailers, up 25.7% year-on-year.

The company employs more than 1,300 employees across its 41-strong store network and Regional Distribution Centre in Nutt’s Corner, Co. Antrim.