Supermarket announces £31m expansion plan for Derry and Strabane

Supermarket chain Lidl has announced a £31m investment in the north west over the next five years, including plans for three new stores and more than 100 retail jobs.

Lidl, which currently operates 44 stores across Northern Ireland, said two of the planned outlets would be in the Waterside and Creggan areas of Londonderry, with a third proposed for Castlederg in County Tyrone.

The retailer, which already has stores in Strabane and on the Springtown Road in Derry, said the expansion reinforces its long-term commitment to the region.

The announcement was made on Wednesday at a business breakfast in the Guildhall, attended by local business figures, community groups and elected representatives.

Gordon Cruikshanks, regional managing director for Lidl Northern Ireland, said the announcement “reaffirmed” the company’s long-term commitment to the Derry City and Strabane district.

But he added that the retailer’s ambitions for the region depended on progress within the planning system.

“Our ability to realise the important impact of this major investment – from local job creation to the wider significant social and economic benefit it will bring for local people and communities – is entirely contingent on the planning system.”

He said planning delays were a major obstacle for the retailer, highlighting the proposed store at Crescent Link Retail Park in Derry, which he said has been in the system for more than six years.

Lidl, which marked 25 years in Northern Ireland in 2024, said last year it contributed £360m to the local economy and supports almost 7,000 jobs.