€40 million worth of goods and services procured by Lidl across Donegal in 2024

Lidl Ireland’s latest Supplier and Business Partner Impact Report shows the retailer procured more than €40 million worth of goods and services from 25 suppliers and business partners across Donegal last year.

Suppliers the length and breadth of the country benefitted from this record investment by Lidl. Overall, there was €1.67 billion worth of goods and services from Irish businesses in 2024 - an increase of €41 million (or 2.5%) on last year - demonstrating Lidl’s continued strong investment in Ireland.

Donegal has eight stores - two in Letterkenny and one each in Ballybofey, Buncrana, Donegal Town, Dungloe, Milford and Bundoran - which employ 180 people.

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Lidl’s key Donegal suppliers include Ballybofey-based Mulrines – a premium juice and smoothie business that has been working with Lidl since 2009. In recent years, Mulrines have grown their €20 million contract with Lidl to significantly increase supply to Great Britain.

In 2024, Kickstart supported 45 local Irish producers and showcased their products across over 223 stores on the island of Ireland. A standout from 2024’s Kickstart programme was Naked Bakes, which secured a €700,000 permanent listing in 223 Lidl stores, demonstrating the programme’s impact in fostering growth and opportunities for local suppliers.

Since its launch in 2017, Lidl has invested more than €37 million in supporting almost 300 Irish businesses across the island of Ireland through the Kickstart programme. Last year’s programme saw two Donegal businesses join the Kickstart alumni, Ramelton-based McDaid’s, producers of the iconic Irish soft drink Football Special, and family-run Corveen Glen Meat Company, who produce fresh, farm-fed meat in Letterkenny.

“Our market-leading growth in Ireland over the past 25 years is a testament to our long-established business model focused on investing in our local supplier network and bringing high quality, locally sourced fresh produce at great value to over two million shoppers each week in Ireland, and to our global network of Lidl stores across 31 countries,” Robert Ryan, CEO, Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said.

“Growing our local supplier network has always been a priority for us and we are proud to have nurtured long-standing relationships that offer our suppliers stability and afford them the opportunity to plan for their future business growth with us.

“The strength of our supplier relationships has allowed us to combat inflationary pressures and maintain our promise to customers to provide quality locally sourced produce at an affordable price. We are annually investing over €1.6bn in our Irish suppliers with an increase of 2.5% in 2024. This record level of investment is a huge driver of local economic growth, and this report demonstrates our commitment to supporting our entire network of local businesses to grow, develop and enjoy success.”