Olympic effort to welcome South Belfast shoppers to new Lidl Northern Ireland Store on Boucher Road.
Retailer’s first store in South Belfast will bolster the local job market, adding an additional 40 permanent jobs to a regional 1,300 strong Lidl workforce.
Local politicians, middle-aisle bargain hunters, and Rhys McClenaghan fans flocked to the opening of Lidl Northern Ireland’s new Boucher Road store today, as the Olympic gymnast was joined by Belfast Lord Mayor Micky Murray for the ribbon cutting at Lidl Northern Ireland’s first South Belfast store.
Lidl Northern Ireland Sport for Good ambassador Rhys McClenaghan, who made history at the 2024 Olympics as the first ever gymnast from the island of Ireland to win gold, welcomed local shoppers to the new flagship store when it opened at 8am this morning.
The retailer also celebrated the new store opening by donating £1,000 in store vouchers to two local charities, Barnados NI and Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid.
The opening of the new Boucher Road store – which is the tenth Lidl store in the Greater Belfast area – reflects its plans to expand the Lidl footprint in Northern Ireland and provide more people with access to its ‘Go Full Lidl’ brand proposition for the first time.
The new, state-of-the-art, £7m ‘concept’ store will bolster the local job market, adding an additional 40 permanent jobs to a regional 1,300 strong Lidl workforce.
Positioned to the front of the National Football Stadium and Olympia Leisure Centre, the refurbished site includes an adjacent 148-space customer car park, complete with EV charging stations, redeveloping derelict land in an iconic Belfast location.
Developed in line with Lidl Northern Ireland’s modern, ‘concept’ design and industry-leading sustainability standards, the new store also incorporates energy efficient features including roof solar panelling, reflecting Lidl Northern Ireland’s commitment to sustainability. The modern fit-out provides a premier shopping experience for customers, with wide aisles, an in-store bakery, longer till points and enhanced restrooms and employee facilities.
Speaking at the opening of the new store this morning, Lidl Northern Ireland Managing Director Ivan Ryan said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to officially open our new Boucher Road store and to bring Lidl to South Belfast for the first time. This has been a highly anticipated project and we knew we would have a lot of interest in the new store, but we’ve been blown away by the number of customers visiting us this morning, and the positive response from both new and existing Lidl shoppers.
The opening of Boucher Road – our 42nd store in the region – reflects our commitment to creating new jobs and investment across the region. Realising this new store has been a priority for Lidl Northern Ireland and I’d like to thank local residents and businesses for their ongoing support and for the warm welcome they have given us this morning.”
Lidl Northern Ireland ‘Sport for Good’ ambassador Rhys McClenaghan said:
“As Lidl Northern Ireland has supported me along my journey to Olympic success, I am proud to be here supporting the Boucher Road team this morning, as they welcome new and existing shoppers to this impressive new store.”
Following successful opening day celebrations this morning, Lidl Northern Ireland is inviting shoppers to enjoy a weekend of family-friendly activities at Boucher Road store this weekend, 14th and 15th September. Families can enjoy face painting, arts and crafts stations, archery, a petting farm and performances by the South Belfast Rock Choir.
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 9.2 percent market share in Northern Ireland, according to retail information analysts Kantar.
For more information visit www.lidl-ni.co.uk
