THE GERMAN retailer Lidl is to open a new brand of store in Ireland specialising in non-food items such as lifestyle and household products.
The first Lidl Mega Cent, which will start trading in August at Gullivers Retail Park in Northbrook, Santry, Co Dublin, is also to stock a range of unsold lifestyle, hardware and electrical goods from its network of about 130 stores around the country. Lidl had been trading with the new brand on a temporary basis for a number of weeks and has now taken a five-year lease of a 700sq m (7,534sq ft) store at a rent of about €107 per sq m. Lidl will be the second new trader to open in August at the Santry park, where fast-food giant McDonalds is to operate a new drive-thru restaurant. McDonalds will be paying a rent of about €145,000 for a 385.5sq m facility which will include a double lane access to the restaurant.
Bernadine Hogan of letting agent Savills said the arrival of McDonalds and Lidl will strengthen the appeal of the park, which accommodates Homebase, Home Focus, Petmania, Duca Furniture and Cost Plus Sofas. The complex also includes Eurospar, Costa Coffee, Neighbourhood Pharmacy and Northwood Dry Cleaners. Beauty Laine Hair and Beauty Salon has acquired extra space to give it an overall floor area of 278sq m (3,000sq ft). It is paying rent of €322 per sq m.
Gullivers Retail Park was developed by the Cosgrave Group which also owns and operates the Westend Shopping Park in Blanchardstown.
