It has been a real red letter day for Portadown with the official opening of a new Lidl store.
The development – based largely on the site of the old Dunnes Stores and part of the High Street Mall – has been undergoing since last year.
But this morning saw the doors open on the retailer’s latest outlet locally.
The new shop has created in the region of 20 full-time jobs with the construction industry also receiving a boost during the building work phases.
Present this morning for the official opening was Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart.
The DUP representative welcomed the arrival of the chain store to the town and said it represents a “strong expression of confidence in Portadown as a place to do business”.
“This is a good news story for Portadown,” she said.
“Job creation and significant investment in the town is always welcome and this new store is a real expression of confidence, by Lidl, in Portadown as an excellent retail location.
“It has been good to work with the team behind the proposal and to assist the plans through the planning process. I want to thank ABC Planning for the professional manner in which this application was dealt with.
“Ultimately the people of Portadown are the real winners here with the opening of a state-of-the-art store with the vast range of Lidl products available.
“I continue to work on other potential investment in the town as we seek to bolster the retail experience that is already a great mix of wonderful independent family stores and multinationals.”
