ALDI Ireland has announced a dedicated West of Ireland expansion programme which will see the company invest over €63 million and create 140 new full-time jobs and 350 construction jobs across Connacht over the next two years.
This €63 million investment which underlines ALDI’s commitment to the region, will see new ALDI stores in Ballina, Tuam, Mountbellew, Athenry, Ballyhaunis, Monivea Rd Galway along with store upgrades in Portumna, Clifden, Galway Retail Park and Ballinasloe, some of which are already complete. The €63 million expansion will see the creation of 490 new jobs, comprising 140 full-time roles in ALDI and 350 indirect construction jobs.
Welcoming the investment, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, said: "This €63 million investment by ALDI in the West and the 140 new permanent jobs it will create over the next two years is really great news. A further 350 jobs will be created through the construction of new shops and the upgrade of some existing ones.
"The Government is committed to creating a job for everyone that wants one, in the county of their choice, so I’m glad to see a good spread of investment with further investment potentially on the horizon. Aldi offers a living wage to its workers which is an important priority of mine too. I know this news will be welcomed by suppliers as well as the local communities and I wish everyone involved the very best of luck with it."
Making the announcement, Niall O’Connor, ALDI Group Managing Director, said: "I'm particularly delighted to welcome the opening of ALDI Ireland’s new store in Ballina today. This €10m new store, and the 30 new jobs it creates, will help deliver value to the people of Ballina and County Mayo.
"At ALDI, we are proud to support local suppliers, local communities and local employment, whether through our Grow with ALDI programme, our Community Grants initiative or our support of charity partners Barnados and FoodCloud. We are delighted to be creating over 140 new jobs in the region, which undermines our commitment to the west of Ireland.”
Located on Bury Street, ALDI’s Ballina store was officially opened by Store Manager Charlene Kilgallon and the ALDI Ballina team. The store was constructed on the site of the former historic Deanwood Hotel, which was home to the popular nightclub Pearls throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The spacious new 1,315sqm store features ALDI’s award-winning Project Fresh layout, characterised by wide aisles and hi-spec fixtures and fittings. There are 82 car park spaces available to ALDI shoppers, along with four free-to-use electric vehicle chargers and 10 bike spaces.
The store has been designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. It is powered by 100% green electricity and has solar panels on the roof. ALDI’s new Electronic Shelf Labels replace traditional paper price labels, modernising the shopping experience.
Speaking at the Ballina store opening, Charlene Kilgallon, ALDI Ballina Store Manager, said: "Our new store is fantastic news for local shoppers! Our promise to our Ballina customers is that we will never be beaten on price, and we will always provide the best value when they shop with us. We aim to ensure the very best customer shopping experience, and the spacious design of our new Ballina store means it is easy for customers to pick up what they need – including some amazing products from our local Mayo suppliers.
"At a time when everyone is grappling with rising costs, it’s great to know that households and families in Ballina and the surrounding areas can now shop at their local ALDI and enjoy our range of great quality fresh produce, Irish ingredients and household products at value that just won’t be beaten."
