Discount grocer Lidl has unveiled a multi‑year expansion in Northern Ireland that will see it open 16 additional supermarkets by 2032, a move the company says will substantially increase its regional footprint and economic impact. According to ITV, the planned roll‑out represents roughly a £500 million capital programme and is expected to raise Lidl’s store total in the province to about 60 outlets while boosting annual economic contribution by around £475 million.

The programme is also projected to expand Lidl’s local workforce significantly. ITV reports the retailer anticipates its Northern Ireland headcount will climb from roughly 1,400 employees to about 2,400 as new sites open and existing operations scale up. Industry figures suggest that this hiring would accompany a sustained push to win greater market share in the region.

Those new stores will sit alongside a series of recent openings and substantial refurbishments that Lidl has been carrying out across Northern Ireland. Work has already begun on what Lidl describes as its largest Northern Ireland supermarket to date in Coleraine, a new, substantially larger site within the Riverside Retail Park due to open in spring 2025, and the discounter has completed new outlets in Strabane, Ballymoney and Limavady. These developments form part of a broader northwest investment that Lidl says will include further store relocations and upgrades.

Lidl has also been increasing pay and investing in staff across the island. According to The Irish Times, Lidl Ireland implemented pay rises averaging 3% from March 1, 2025, with an additional investment of around £1.1 million targeted at employees in Northern Ireland; the company has previously committed tens of millions in wage increases in the Republic. The moves have been framed by the retailer as part of efforts to retain staff and support store expansion.

Despite the growth plans, Lidl has repeatedly warned that planning delays are slowing its pipeline. Company representatives have pointed to a proposed £8 million store in the North West that has been caught in the planning system for more than six years, and local planning requirements have been flagged as a constraint on timetables for particular projects. Separately, Lidl has announced area‑specific initiatives , including a proposed £31 million investment in the Derry City and Strabane District aimed at three new stores and more than 100 in‑store roles , that remain dependent on timely approvals.

The expansion comes against a backdrop of solid recent trading in Northern Ireland and prior job creation commitments. Irish News reporting shows Lidl’s Northern Ireland operation exceeded £500 million in sales in its latest year and that the company has already invested heavily in new sites, aiming previously to grow to 50 stores by the end of the decade. Earlier recruitment drives across the island also underline Lidl’s longer‑term push to expand its presence and local investment.