Mayo benefits from ALDI's €63 million investment in west
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 Connaught over the next two years.
The investment will see new ALDI stores in Ballyhaunis, Ballina (opening today), Tuam, Mountbellew, Athenry and Monivea Road, Galway, along with store upgrades in Portumna, Clifden, Galway Retail Park and Ballinasloe, some of which are already complete.
ALDI Ireland made the announcement at the official opening of its Ballina store today, the company’s fifth in Co. Mayo.
The company signalled that its Tuam store will open later this month, with store openings in Ballyhaunis and Athenry following in the first half of next year. Recruitment for positions across these stores will begin in early 2023.
Thirty new jobs have been created at the new €10 million Ballina store.
Welcoming the investment, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, 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: “ALDI’s commitment to further embedding and expanding our value offering has never been more relevant and remains our key business priority.
“The cost-of-living crisis is impacting every household and we are very aware what it means for our customers. ALDI has always prioritised value as we know that the weekly shop is among the largest outlays in every household budget. Being able to offer our customers the best value at locations most convenient to them matters more than ever.
“We are investing in our network of stores and the communities we operate in across the West, creating jobs and doubling-down on our commitment to providing access to the best value groceries in Ireland right across the region. Within two years, today’s announcement will bring an additional six stores and 140 new permanent roles in the area.
“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.”
ALDI Ballina
Located on Bury Street, ALDI’s Ballina store was officially opened today 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 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.
Said Ms. Kilgallon: “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.”
ALDI has made a capital investment of €33.3 million in Co. Mayo since opening its first store in the county in 2001. ALDI currently employs 94 full-time staff across the county.