The date for a new Lidl store at Rushmere in Craigavon throwing open its doors will be “confirmed in the coming weeks”.
And the opening will coincide with the closure of the existing store, adjacent to the Northway at Balteagh Road.
Confirmation came as the Lidl store there has been placed on the market for sale.
Offers in excess of £1.1 million are being sought for the expansive property, just a stone’s throw from Craigavon Omniplex and a short distance from the operator’s intended new site.
Marketed by CBRE NI, the current property is described as consisting of a modern supermarket, stretching to over 15,500 sq ft, on a site which also boasts 154 car parking spaces.
It is being sold with the benefit of vacant possession.
“The property is currently fitted out as a supermarket, however, is suitable for a variety of uses – subject to any necessary planning consent,” according to the agent.
It is now two years since Lidl confirmed its intentions to develop a larger store at Rushmere – on the site of the former Saisbury’s filling station at Central Way – when it also heralded new store hopes for Dungannon and Bangor.
The company said the plans would support “hundreds of jobs” during development and construction, with 50 new jobs when the stores open. All three areas already have over 60 employees.
Chris Speers, Lidl Northern Ireland property director, said at the time: “Welcoming more than a half a million shoppers through our store network each week, we continue to prioritise delivering the best shopping experience for our customers.
“Alongside our ambitious expansion plans in the region, we are focused on upgrading our existing store network to bring older stores in line with our industry leading, sustainably focused ‘Concept’ design.
“I am delighted to confirm new plans to relocate and upgrade our stores in Bangor, Craigavon and Dungannon, where we have served local communities for more than two decades.
“These proposed new stores are important for us, and we hope that new and existing customers are as excited as we are by our plans for significant local investment in our local communities.”
Regional managing director Ivan Ryan said the “upgraded stores” would “better meet the needs of a growing customer base”, and “cements our long-term commitment to serving and investing in local communities”.
A public consultation was held in February 2024 and a full planning application was submitted to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in March 2025, which was then approved last July.
The retailer indicated the development represented an investment of around £9 million and said it would create and maintain jobs and make a significant contribution to the local economy in terms of salaries and rates payments.
Over 200 construction jobs were also forecast, working over a six-month period to build a supermarket of close to 27,000 sq ft. Some 127 parking spaces – as well as electric vehicle charging spaces and cycle spaces – were also approved as part of the application.
Lidl first arrived in Craigavon in July 2004, when it opened the existing supermarket on Balteagh Road.
But it indicated the supermarket operation there had outgrown its building, while the site was not well-placed relative to the hub of retail activity within Craigavon’s ‘designated town centre’.
Now, the intention is that there will be no interruption to service as one store closes and another prepares to open.
A spokesperson for Lidl told Armagh I: “This store will close the day before the new store at Rushmere opens. The date of the new store opening will be confirmed in the coming weeks.”
