Competition in the Irish grocery trade is set to become even more intense following the disclosure by German discounter Lidl that it is searching for web sites for greater than 60 extra stores on both sides of the Border.The planned expansion is thought to become the largest by any in the principal grocery multiples and coincides with signs of a continuing recovery in customer spending in the Republic.lidl christmas opening hours is already one of many largest retailers in Ireland with 143 retailers along with a further 38 in Northern Ireland. The other German discount chain Aldi has 115 stores within the Republic but will not trade in Northern Ireland.Lidl has appointed CBRE’s Dublin and Belfast offices to locate important web sites in cities and towns to facilitate the expansion. Right after opening its first retailer here in 2000, it expanded rapidly and "experienced unparalleled development all through their lifetime in Ireland," in accordance with the business.As part of the continued expansion method it says it's "looking to open extra 60-plus stores on higher profile web sites with great visibility and accessibility."Freehold propertiesThe perfect web site will be two acres in size even though smaller sized plots of about a single acre will probably be deemed in higher density urban areas. There is certainly also a preference for freehold properties to accommodate stores ranging in size from 1,800 sq m to two,400 sq m (19, 375 sq ft/25,833 sq ft).Florence Stanley, head of retail at CBRE Dublin, mentioned that as well as mounting a countrywide look for suitable web sites, they could be contacting nearby estate agents to discover the best enterprise areas."It may take a although to fulfil our commitment but if we handle to line up 60 web sites inside three years our client would most likely be satisfied."Whilst the majority of the current Lidl properties have substantial parking facilities, the business has also been in a position to avail of smaller sized, well-located sites by putting the retailers on stilts and using the space underneath the developing for parking. A single such retailer is positioned on the 1.14-acre former Sunday World site in Terenure which recently opened for company.That web site was purchased by a residential improvement business through the home boom for €18.three million and was acquired after the crash by Lidl for more than €4 million.Not great newsTara Buckley, director general of the Retail Grocery Dairy and Allied Trades Association, stated 60 discount supermarkets was not good news for Irish towns and villages.A report by economist Jim Energy had shown that a euro spent within a locally owned shop was worth 3 occasions more than one spent within a British or German chain. In the end from the day their income go back to Germany or the UK.Lidl’s share from the discount marketplace in the North has risen considerably more than the years even though surprisingly the organization has not been challenged in that industry by Aldi. That business recently confirmed that its planned £600 million expansion inside the UK - it really is to open yet another 550 outlets - will not consist of Northern Ireland.Meanwhile, Tesco is still mulling over the extended delayed megastore planned for Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in west Dublin. It has denied it is to become abandoned just like 49 other supermarket projects within the UK.Organizing permission for the shop was granted by An Bord Plean?la in June 2016 and, based on an official spokesperson, the organization is "working by means of planning compliance with all the neighborhood authority and as such a commencement date for the development has not but been finalised".