THE north's fastest-growing supermarket chain Lidl has reopened a state-of-the-art store in Antrim, adding eight jobs to an already 27-strong local team.
The spacious newly-designed store at the Junction One Retail Complex - officially opened by Ulster and Ireland rugby legend Stephen Ferris - is now amongst the greenest and most sustainable retail outlets in Northern Ireland, incorporating a range of strategies to reduce environmental impact.
It is powered by green electricity, is certified to ISO50001 energy efficiency standards and has two electric vehicle charging points for customer use.
There are also immediate plans to add a swathe of next-generation solar panels which will power the new store even on cloudy days.
Antrim and Newtownabbey mayor Paul Michael said: “The council has a strong track record of attracting investment and encouraging development which strengthens local economies, creates jobs and adds value to every citizen.
"I’m delighted Lidl Northern Ireland has chosen to further strengthen its commitment to Antrim and I congratulate the team for what is an outstanding new store at Junction One.”
Store manager Amy Leathen said the new architectural design and spacious store layout with markedly wider aisles and higher ceilings, an enhanced bakery area and a ‘Lidl to Go’ coffee-making facility means that it can offer customers an even greater shopping experience while also continuing to reduce its overall impact on the environment.
“I look forward to welcoming new and existing customers back to our new Junction One store. I want to thank everyone who played a part in making this happen and we can’t wait to start serving our multi-award winning products again to the local community.”
To celebrate the launch, Lidl Northern Ireland presented two local charities – Antrim Food Bank and Women’s Aid – with £500 each as part of its local fundraising activity.
Lidl currently employs more than 800 staff in its 38 Northern Ireland stores and its distribution centre and head office at Nutt’s Corner.
