Lidl said it has spent £347 million with Northern Ireland’s agri-food producers over the last year.
Its latest impact reported said the spend has supported some 60 local producers in the province and underpinned the sector.
While much of the food was sold within the supermarket’s local stores, it said £298 million was sold through its store network throughout the world, including to customers in Great Britain, Europe, Romania, Greece and the US.
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It is one of Northern Ireland’s largest supermarkets with 41 stores and 1,000 employees. The budget brand has grown substantially since first arriving in the province in 1999.
Alongside its supplier network, Lidl Northern Ireland said it has been supporting small and medium sized enterprises and home-grown businesses to realise their potential through its industry-leading Kickstart Supplier Development Programme. Now in its fifth year, the retailer has invested more than £1 million in growing more than 30 local suppliers through the initiative.
“Our fantastic suppliers represent the best of Northern Ireland’s food and drink industry,” Conor Boyle, Regional Managing Director Lidl Northern Ireland said. “Through our supplier partnerships and initiatives like Kickstart, we’re proud to be able to showcase our best performing suppliers on the global stage through our Lidl network.
“As we look ahead to the next decade, we look forward to nurturing new and fruitful supplier partnerships and supporting even more local businesses to success.”
During the last year, the supermarket said it also recorded turnover of £369 million, up 7% on the previous year.
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Michael Bell, Executive Director, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association, said Lidl’s contribution to Northern Ireland is significant.
“Locally, our food and drink sector is Northern Ireland’s largest manufacturing sector, contributing £4.9 billion in value added to the region and supporting some 113,000 jobs,” he said. “It’s a huge driver of economic growth and this report by Lidl Northern Ireland demonstrates just how significant its supplier relationships are not only to its ongoing success, but to supporting an entire network of local producers to grow and export.”