New Cookstown Lidl store will offer customers ‘a premier shopping experience’

With a full planning application lodged with Mid Ulster District Council, the retailer has revealed that around 200 jobs will be supported during the construction and development phases ahead of its opening next year.

The new store itself will create 18 additional jobs in the town, expanding its existing retail team to 40 employees.

The planning application follows a successful and extensive community consultation in August, held within its existing store at Station Square, outlining its plans to completely replace and relocate to a new location at Orritor Road.

The current store at Station Square was Lidl Northern Ireland’s first in the region and the first store to be built on the island of Ireland in 1999. Confirmation of its plans for a new store in Cookstown comes as the retailer prepares to mark its 25th anniversary in Northern Ireland next year.

As the region’s fastest-growing supermarket retailer, Lidl Northern Ireland’s new investment in Cookstown marks the latest in a series of store developments and expansion of its local retail estate, where it operates a network of 41 stores.

The new Cookstown store will include an enlarged 1,670 sq m sales floor within the new 2,475 sq m building, incorporating wider aisles, an in-store bakery, toilets, baby-changing facilities and employee areas built to exacting standards with sustainability at the fore.

Ivan Ryan, Lidl Northern Ireland’s regional managing director, welcomed the announcement.

“We’re thrilled to progress plans to create a new state-of-the-art store for the residents of Cookstown, providing the local community and beyond with even more access to high quality products at best-value prices.

"Our Cookstown store – the first to be built on the island of Ireland in 1999 – was one of the stores where I completed my initial training many years ago so I’m delighted that our exciting plans to invest £8 million in the development of a new retail facility in the town will become a reality in my tenure as regional managing director.

"In a prime and convenient new location on the bustling Orritor Road, with modern facilities, our new Cookstown store will provide our growing number of customers with a premier shopping experience.

"It’s poignant and fitting that plans are progressing to prepare to break ground on this project in 2024, our 25th anniversary year. This is a special project for us, and we’re excited to deliver this new Concept store to a very deserving community whilst also creating new jobs for the local area.

"We are delighted to now lodge a full planning proposal, backed by local residents and stakeholders, to deliver this significant project.”

Earlier this year, Lidl Northern Ireland revealed that it spent a record £455 million in the local agri-food sector, sourcing its supplies from around 60 producers in the region – the lion’s share, or £390 million of which, was exported to stores across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

Recent new supplier additions include Holmes Bakery in Portadown, Enniskillen-based artisan condiment supplier Erne Larder and apple producers Natural Umber, based in Dungannon.