Lidl Northern Ireland is getting in shape to open its brand new £5 million store in the heart of the city and is set to welcome online fitness guru and Newry native Maeve Madden to officially unveil the new look store when it opens on Thursday 26 August.
The brand-new, state-of-the-art store at Buttercrane Shopping Centre replaces Lidl’s existing store at Bagenal’s Castle on Abbey Way, breathing new life into the former store sites which have lain vacant for five years.
The enhanced and expanded store creates 15 new, permanent retail jobs in addition to the current team of 35 employees and has supported 200 more throughout the development and construction phase which commenced in March this year.
Instagram sensation, author and founder of Queen’s Don’t Quit fitness community, Maeve Madden will officially cut the ribbon to unveil the new look Lidl Northern Ireland store and participate in a meet-and-greet with shoppers from 8am – 9am.
Conor Boyle, Regional Director for Lidl Northern Ireland, said:
“Lidl Northern Ireland has been serving the people of Newry for more than a decade and we’re thrilled to bring customers an enhanced shopping experience at this new, expanded location which benefits from great access and modern facilities within one of the region’s premier retail destinations.
Buttercrane Shopping Centre is a strategic site in the heart of Newry city and we’re delighted to transform a pivotal unit within the centre. We’re looking forward to bringing an expanded range of fresh, high-quality products and market-leading value to more shoppers in the city and welcoming both old and new customers for a first-class shopping experience.”
Occupying a space of 2,190 sq. metres, including an expansive sales floor of almost 1,400sq metres, the store has been built to Lidl’s established and award-winning ‘concept’ design which prioritises spacious, wide aisles, long tills, restrooms, staff and baby-changing facilities, providing shoppers with a dramatically enhanced shopping experience. Customers can also avail of the significantly larger bakery space offering a wide range of baked goods.
Lidl Northern Ireland’s latest store prioritises sustainability and benefits from an ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System and two electric vehicle charger spaces within its 105-space car park, enabling customers to charge their electric vehicles whilst they shop. Customers spending more than £10 in-store at Lidl can also avail of free parking for 90 minutes.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the new Buttercrane Shopping Centre store launch, Maeve Madden said:
“Newry will always be home for me and I’m so excited to visit and open the brand new Lidl Northern Ireland store at Buttercrane Shopping Centre next week. Growing up, I was always indulging in retail therapy at the centre and it’s fantastic to see it continue to go from strength to strength, attracting big new brands like Lidl.
I’m also a huge Lidl fan – Lidl has such a brilliant range of high quality products at great prices with a real focus on supporting local, Northern Irish suppliers. I can’t wait to see inside the new store and meet with customers on the morning.”
Buttercrane Shopping Centre manager Peter Murray also commented on the new store opening:
“Lidl Northern Ireland has enjoyed phenomenal growth within the region since opening its first stores here in 2011. As one of the region’s leading retail destinations, Buttercrane Shopping Centre is the perfect location to accommodate Lidl Northern Ireland’s expanded new store and to serve growing customer numbers in a new, modern and convenient location.
I’m delighted to welcome Lidl Northern Ireland as a new anchor tenant to Buttercrane Shopping Centre, offering shoppers an exciting new supermarket shopping experience to complement our suite of big name brands. With all these names available under one roof and exceptional facilities, shoppers can enjoy a great day out.
The multi-million pound investment by Lidl Northern Ireland and Buttercrane Centre has transformed the site, which is now outward looking onto Dublin Road, and has significantly regenerated the adjacent Bridge Street area of the city.
I look forward to welcoming shoppers to the new Lidl store next week and to hosting Newry native and friend of Buttercrane, Maeve Madden, to bring some celebrity to the centre and this new opening.”