Sainsbury’s has announced plans to invest over £50m in building two new stores in Northern Ireland .
The supermarket giant is set to purchase an existing Co-operative Food store in Carrickfergus and, subject to planning permission, will build a new flagship store in Londonderry .
The new Derry store will be based at Crescent Link on the Waterside area of the city and is expected to create several hundred jobs .
Some new jobs will be also created at the Carrickfergus store, although Sainsburys said there will be an opportunity for all employees from the existing Co-op store to continue working under the Sainsbury’s brand.
Chris Templeman, head of property development at Sainsbury’s, said the company was “delighted” with the investment and added that all existing Northern Ireland stores were “trading well despite the difficult economic climate”.
“We will continue to deliver on our commitment to local sourcing at these new stores which means there will be further opportunities for local suppliers,” he said.
“Our regional buying team currently source in excess of £250m worth of local produce every year and that is set to grow.”
The new food outlets will bring the number of Sainsbury’s supermarkets in the country to 13. The company is also awaiting the outcome of a planning decision on a proposed store at Balloo in Bangor.
