German retail giant invested over €8.5 million in county Kilkenny economy last year – report

More than €8.5 million has been invested in local suppliers and external partners in county Kilkenny by Lidl Ireland in 2019.

These figures are revealed in Lidl’s 2019 Impact report, detailing the positive economic and social impact the company has made within the communities it serves throughout Ireland.

The report shows 63 people are employed directly in Lidl’s three stores in county Kilkenny.

This year marks Lidl’s 20^th anniversary of its establishment in Ireland. In that time, the retailer has opened 163 stores across the country and forged strong partnerships with a network of over 250 Irish suppliers, sourcing €1 billion worth of produce across the island of Ireland.

And it is not just the supply chain Lidl has helped, it has also worked diligently to reduce food waste and carbon emissions.

Last year Lidl in Kilkenny diverted 2,532kgs of food from landfill, saving 8,102 units of CO² as part of its FoodCloud programme, providing local charities with donated meals and in-kind donations and works to reduce food waste.

In 2019 the national partnership diverted 230,699 kgs of food from being sent to landfill and saving 738,237 units of CO².

Donations to Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health peaked in 2019, with shoppers in county Kilkenny raising €10,245 for the charity through a range of local and national initiatives fundraisers including Superhero Saturday, Lidl’s Got Talent, Jump for Jigsaw and The Bakery.

Commenting on the launch of the 2019 Impact report, Managing Director of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, J.P. Scally said:

“I’m delighted and incredibly proud of the significant and positive contribution Lidl has made to our customers, the communities that we serve and our environment in 2019. It echoes our overall commitment to make lives better, something which we as a retailer have been striving to do since we arrived in Ireland in 2000, while still offering customers the best prices in the market.”