The retailer is opening its second Regional hub in Cork
10:47, 26 Feb 2026Updated 21:39, 26 Feb 2026
Lidl (stock)(Image: JONAS ROOSENS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
Lidl has secured planning permission for a new €200 million Regional Distribution Centre in Little Island. The state-of-the-art development will be an “important milestone” for the supermarket giant.
Cork City Council has granted permission for the retailer to expand its operations in Cork. A new centre at Wallingstown will provide a massive boost to the German retailer’s ambitious expansion plans across the south and southeast of Ireland. The Regional Distribution Centre at Little Island is expected to be operational by 2030. It will be Lidl’s fourth distribution facility in the Republic of Ireland, and its second in Cork.
Its first Distribution Centre opened in Charleville in 2005. Now, over a decade later, they are opening another centre in Cork to meet growing demand. Since Lidl first opened in Cork back in 2000, it has grown into one of the most loved supermarket chains in the county, with over 20 stores and 700 staff.
The Regional Distribution Centre at Little Island was announced last year as part of a €600 million investment, which includes 35 new stores. Tara O’Connor, Regional Managing Director for Munster at Lidl Ireland, said that since Lidl submitted its planning application in October 2024, it has opened a number of new stores across Ireland. She said: “We are pleased to receive planning approval for a new, state-of-the-art Regional Distribution Centre at Little Island.
“This is an important milestone and reflects our continued commitment to investing in the Munster and Western region. Since submitting the planning application in October 2024, we have opened an additional four new stores in the region at Moycullen, Killorglin, Limerick and Claregalway, with a number of other stores in the pipeline at various stages of the planning process.
“The development of a new distribution centre in this area is vital to ensure we meet the future needs of our business as we continue to deliver on our ambitious expansion plans and open new stores across local towns and cities over the next four years. This decision allows us to continue our local investment and ensure we have the right infrastructure in place to support our future growth, enabling us to continue to provide great value to our customers.”
According to retail analysts Kantar, Lidl is Ireland’s fastest-growing retailer. It currently operates 190 stores in the Republic of Ireland and three regional distribution centres at Charleville, Mullingar in Westmeath and Newbridge in Kildare. Lidl has 52 stores across Munster: 22 in Cork, 6 in Limerick, 4 in Waterford, 8 in Kerry, 3 in Clare and 9 in Tipperary.
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