Aldi ‘frustrated’ in hunt for Dublin outlet sites
"It is frustrating that we are not further ahead at a time when Dublin customers need us most,” said Niall O’Connor, group managing director of Aldi Ireland
Print26 October 2022
With “an interest in” some 25 separate sites across Dublin, Aldi has commented on the difficulties of finding suitable locations in the capital.
In an interview with The Irish Times, Niall O’Connor, group managing director of Aldi Ireland, conceded that Dublin had become “a bit of a problem for us” on the grounds that it takes twice as long to open a site compared to other locations.
The retailer seeks sites of “a couple of acres” in the city so that it can fit in car parks, but O’Connor said sites of this size were difficult to find and usually involved it having to assemble a number of different land parcels.
He said the company would not overpay for sites in Dublin, nor will it do “ridiculous” building schemes in order to get schemes through planning.
“We have capital to invest,” he said. “There is an opportunity for us here [in Dublin]. It is frustrating that we are not further ahead [in the city] at a time when Dublin customers need us most.”
The Irish Times reports that the 25 sites Aldi is currently examining include those where it was talking to sellers; sites upon which it had already paid a deposit; sites where it had applied for planning permission; and other developer-led schemes where it was in talks to add an Aldi into mixed-use developments.
“Not all of those sites will be built, as there is some overlap between them,” O’Connor said.
With more than 150 shops nationwide, Aldi currently has just 24 in the Dublin area and has long coveted a stronger position in the city where competitors such as Dunnes Stores and Tesco are better represented
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