Lidl, the popular grocery retailer, has invested €80 million to open one of the largest distribution centres in Mullingar, equivalent in size to nine Aviva Stadiums or four Croke Parks. The newly extended facility at Robinstown has dramatically increased Lidl’s capacity to around 62,000 square metres, making it one of the biggest buildings in the State. This expansion allows Lidl to increase capacity by one third, serving its network of 177 stores across the State. The new investment will create around 100 new jobs while reducing Lidl’s carbon output by some 220 tonnes through its €1 million rooftop solar panel array.
Lidl’s Irish expansion plan, first announced by the company in 2021, includes a €550-million investment. Originally built in 2008 to service stores in the north Dublin, the midlands and the northwest, the Mullingar centre has expanded over the past 10 years to keep up with the retailer’s growing Irish footprint. Lidl is committed to investing and supporting the Irish food sector for the long term. In opening the facility, Alan Barry, Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland’s Chief Development Officer, said, “the newly expanded distribution centre will now be Lidl’s largest distribution centre on the island, equivalent in size to approximately nine Aviva stadiums”. This occasion has been widely celebrated, with Peter Burke, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, stating, “This is a momentous occasion for Mullingar and the Irish food industry as we celebrate the inauguration of this outstanding facility”.
