Lidl Merchants Quay Opening Brings 23 New Permanent Jobs and €4.5 Million Investment to Cork City

Lidl Ireland’s new Merchants Quay Shopping Centre store in Cork City will open on Thursday 29 October 2026, representing an investment of €4.5 million. The store has created 23 new permanent retail jobs, and its opening breathes new life into a commercial space that has stood vacant for nearly four years.

Doors open at 8:00am, expanding Lidl’s presence in Cork to 23 stores. The store is located in Merchants Quay Shopping Centre on Patrick’s Street.

Tara O’Connor, Regional Managing Director for Lidl Ireland, said the store reflects the retailer’s continued commitment to the city centre:

“We are delighted to open our second Cork city centre store in Merchants Quay Shopping Centre in the heart of Cork city.”

She added that the opening forms part of broader investment in the county:

“…a wider series of investments across the county, where we have continued to expand and modernise our store footprint…”

Lidl said recently granted planning permissions for stores in Mahon Point and Carrigtwohill are also part of that wider investment. The retailer’s Cornmarket Street store was extensively refurbished in March 2025.

The spend also extends beyond the store itself. Lidl Ireland procured over €136 million worth of goods and services from 120 Cork agri-food suppliers and business partners in 2025. Among them is Keohane Seafoods Ltd, which secured a €30 million contract with Lidl in 2025 to supply fresh, frozen, and ready-to-eat seafood products to stores across Ireland.

Cork businesswoman and influencer Lisa Jordan will cut the ribbon on opening day. She said the new store would make things easier for local families, workers and shoppers:

“Lidl is already a firm favourite in the city with its popular Cornmarket Street store, and expanding into Merchants Quay makes popping into town for daily essentials or doing the weekly shop so much easier for local families, workers, and shoppers.”

The first ten early bird shoppers on opening day will receive complimentary €20 Lidl gift vouchers to spend in-store. The store has a 1,530 sqm sales floor area and 16 tills, including 14 self service checkouts, marking the installation of Lidl’s milestone 200th self service checkout in Ireland.

Lidl Ireland currently employs more than 6,300 people across its 193 stores, Head Office in Tallaght, and three distribution centres and regional offices in Newbridge, Charleville, and Mullingar. Career opportunities are listed on www.lidl.ie.

Lidl Merchants Quay will be open Monday to Wednesday from 08:00 to 19:00, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 to 20:00, Saturday from 08:00 to 19:00, and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.