Lidl eyeing up €200m Cork warehouse to support Munster expansion

Lidl Ireland is seeking planning permission to construct a €200m regional distribution centre in Wallingstown, Little Island in Cork.

The supermarket chain aims to enhance its logistical infrastructure to support its expansion plans in the south and south-east of the country.

The proposed regional distribution centre would be Lidl’s fourth such facility in the Republic of Ireland, and the second to be located in Cork.

Subject to planning permission, the site would open by 2030.

Lidl’s other three Irish regional distribution centres, which serve the company’s 180 stores in the Republic, are located in Charleville, Co Cork, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, and Newbridge, Co Kildare.

The retailer currently operates 50 stores in Munster — in Cork (22), Limerick (6), Waterford (4), Kerry (7), Clare (2) and Tipperary (9) — and a new store is due to open in Ballysimon on the outskirts of Limerick early next year.

Lidl is currently seeking planning permission for six further stores in the Munster region in Limerick, Cork, Kerry, Clare and Waterford.

“It is a really exciting time for Lidl as we look to make a significant investment to futureproof our logistical infrastructure with a new, state-of-the-art Regional Distribution Centre at Little Island,” said Tara O’Connor, regional managing director for Munster at Lidl Ireland.

“Our ambitious expansion plans to increase our store footprint across Munster and the Southeast region over the next five years are well underway with new stores set to welcome customers over the coming months.

“There are many other stores in the pipeline at various stages of the planning process so this investment in a new distribution centre is vital to meet the future needs of the business and to ensure we can continue to provide great value to our customers across the region.”

Lidl opened its first Cork store in 2000 and now its 22 stores in the county employ over 700 people. The Charleville regional distribution centre was opened in 2003, and the company procures €129m worth of goods and services from Cork producers annually.

Photo: Tara O’Connor. (Pic: Gerard McCarthy)