ALDI Ireland gets ready to officially reopen and welcome ALDI customers back to its store in Fermoy this Thursday, June 4th from 8am, following a €4.2 million upgrade and expansion, making it bigger, brighter, and a better experience for local shoppers.
The store on Dublin Road originally opened in 2012 as ALDI’s 14th store in county Cork. Since then, it has become an essential part of Fermoy’s retail landscape. The store has been closed for 6 weeks to facilitate the refurbishment works.
The newly expanded store includes the addition of up to 5 new permanent jobs and a new bakery, serving fresh-baked treats daily.
The redesign follows ALDI’s award-winning ‘Project Fresh’ layout, providing shoppers with an improved shopping experience and offers customers a larger shopping space, with the retail floor expanded by more than 20% from 965 sqm to 1,171 sqm.
This investment is part of ALDI’s continued expansion across Ireland – focused on bringing great quality groceries at everyday low prices to more communities, while supporting local jobs and enhancing the customer shopping experience.
‘BETTER SHOPPING EXPERIENCE’
Welcoming the development, Eoin Desmond, ALDI Fermoy store manager, said: “We’re can’t wait to welcome the people of Fermoy back through our doors. The €4.2 million investment isn’t just about upgrading the store; it’s about creating a better shopping experience for our customers, while continuing to offer great value.
“Having worked with ALDI since 2014, I’ve seen first-hand how much we’ve grown and I’m especially proud to be reopening in a town where my family and I have made our home.
“At ALDI, it really isn’t complicated – just great quality, great value, and a better shopping experience for our customers in Fermoy.”
TIPS FROM A LOCAL ALDI LEADER
Store manager, Eoin Desmond, brings years of experience and expertise to the role. A proud Cork native, he has a strong connection to the area and has worked with ALDI since 2014 across four stores. He lives nearby in Kilworth with his wife, son and pet cat.
Ahead of the reopening, Eoin has shared his top tips to help customers get the most out of the newly refurbished store.
“Firstly, look out for local suppliers. As a Corkman, I’m always especially pleased to see our local products on the shelves,” he said. “ALDI works with great producers across the region, including Velo Coffee which I love, and Silver Pail Ice Cream, whose factory is located directly across the road from our Fermoy store. It’s something I’m very proud of.”
“Secondly, with the new Project Fresh layout, I’d say it’s never been easier to pick up fresh Irish meat, dairy and veg, making it easier for ALDI customers to buy and support local,” he added.
Eoin also gives some suggestions on how customers can get even further value from their ALDI shop.
“ALDI’s Too Good To Go surprise bags are always a huge hit. They cost €3.99 and contain food worth at least €12. ALDI has sold more than 385,000 of these bags since February 2023. We also mark-down prices on food approaching its best before date by up to 75%. Not only can you pick up some fantastic bargains, but you can also help us to reduce food waste.”
He added a further suggestion: “One of my top tips would be to save your DRS returns on an ALDI Savings Card throughout the year and keep it for Christmas. Christmas can be an expensive time, and I’ve found the savings really help take the sting out of the costs.”
As a final tip, he adds: “Know the best time that suits you to shop. For example, our SpecialBuys typically land in store on Thursdays and Sundays, so these can be good days to grab those new items as soon as they hit the shelves – check our leaflets to find out the sales dates in advance!
“For those interested, our quietest (and quickest) time to shop is usually from 8pm to 10pm. Shopping later in the day is also a great time to spot some of the marked down fresh fruit, veg and meat products. We also run autism-friendly hours every Tuesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, providing a quieter, more sensory-friendly environment.
ALDI’s Investment in Cork
ALDI has made a capital investment of over €155m in Cork since it opened its first store in Ballincollig in 1999. ALDI is the best-paying supermarket in Ireland and currently employs over 290 full-time staff across the county. ALDI currently partners with a number of Irish food and drink producers across North Cork, including Silver Pail Ice Cream which is produced mere metres from the ALDI Fermoy store. ALDI is committed to growing its Irish supply base and increasing the number of locally produced Irish products available at its 166 stores, and last year spent over €1 billion with its Irish food and drink suppliers.
ALDI has invested more than €10M in its Grow with ALDI supplier development programme since 2018, which provides an opportunity to Irish food and drink companies to gain a listing in our stores nationwide.
