Lidl Northern Ireland has reopened its store on Stewartstown Road in west Belfast with the creation of 30 new jobs following a £6m investment.
The store was temporarily closed in August for an expansion and refurbishment in line with the grocer’s modern and sustainability-focused ‘concept’ design.
Comedian Paddy Raff performed ribbon-cutting duties, with shoppers arriving for opening-day discounts, supplier demonstrations and family entertainment.
The retailer also celebrated the new store opening by donating £1,000 in store vouchers to charities, West Wellbeing and Foodstock.
Features of the new store including LED lighting, heat pumps and PV solar panels.
There are wide aisles, long tills, restrooms and baby-changing facilities, as well as an in-store bakery and redeveloped parking and landscaping.
Paddy said: “I’m delighted to support Lidl Northern Ireland with today’s store opening. I was over the moon to be asked to officially open what is my local store, but I’m hoping it means I get to jump the queue when I’m in.
“But seriously, I’m thrilled to be part of the celebrations today. Lidl has had such a positive impact in this community and others, we’ve all been waiting on the Stewartstown Road store to reopen so it’s great to have it back bigger and better than before.”
Established in 1999 when it opened its first store in Cookstown, Lidl Northern Ireland marked 25 years in the region this year, and now has 42 stores here. It now holds a 9% market share in Northern Ireland, according to retail information analysts Kantar.
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News Catch Up – Thursday 5 December