{"id":87956,"date":"2025-09-27T02:31:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T02:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/87956\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T02:31:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T02:31:21","slug":"from-working-in-a-family-store-to-leading-lidl-ireland-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/87956\/","title":{"rendered":"From working in a family store to leading Lidl Ireland \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

The reception area of Lidl\u2019s<\/a> Irish headquarters building in Tallaght<\/a> hosts reminders of celebrations from earlier this year of its 25-year anniversary in Ireland.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a Lidl throughout-the-years wall and the remnants of our celebrations from the summertime,\u201d Robert Ryan<\/a>, the chief executive of the firm\u2019s Irish business, says before leading me upstairs towards the tasting kitchen.<\/p>\n

This is where the quality of various meat, poultry and other food products are road-tested by a team of chefs and buyers to ensure they hit the mark on quality and that the cooking instructions are accurate. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t quite figured out an air fryer recipe for steaks yet. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll get there,\u201d Ryan jokes, before inviting me to taste a variety of beef and steak products, the \u201cvast majority\u201d of which are supplied by Liffey Meats in Ballyjamesduff, in Co Cavan.<\/p>\n

Irish grocery prices <\/a>climbed by more than 6 per cent over the summer, with the rate of increase now more than three times higher than the general rate of consumer price inflation within the economy.<\/p>\n

Figures out this week from data company Worldpanel by Numerator also reveal a sharp uptick in supermarket spending in the four weeks to September 7th.<\/p>\n

The price of beef and other meat items have risen sharply over the past year, although Ryan argues that Lidl has managed to cushion the blow for consumers by taking a hit on its margin. <\/p>\n

Lidl\u2019s beef products have been subject to 20-25 per cent price inflation in the past year, according to Ryan.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Lidl and Germany\u2019s richest man face up against Aldi in battle of discount supermarketsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"LidlLidl doesn\u2019t publish its financial accounts for the Republic, though its annual sales are reported to be well north of \u20ac1 billion. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

\u201cThe price increases from our competitors have been significantly more and the farm gate prices have gone from \u20ac5.50 a kilo to close to \u20ac8 a kilo. That\u2019s close to a 50 per cent increase in terms of what\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re taking a significant [financial] hit but that\u2019s something we\u2019ve always been prepared to do when it comes to price. Irish beef is such an important category in the market and we won\u2019t be found wanting when it comes to our prices on that [product].\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan claims there is a 15 to 20 per cent \u201cprice gap\u201d on these products between Lidl and \u201cmost of its competitors\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re prepared to maintain that at our expense and we\u2019re quite proud of that,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

For sure the deluxe range of products I got to taste (which included fillet and tomahawk steaks and chateaubriand) tasted delicious and were perfectly cooked by the in-house chef. <\/p>\n

\u201cRestaurant quality steak without the prices,\u201d is how Ryan likes to put it, and he claims that the German discounter is poaching customers from rivals for its beef products. <\/p>\n

He says Lidl has a 17.2 per cent share of beef sales, according to the Worldpanel figures while its overall share of the grocery market is put at 14.2 per cent. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe sell more kilograms of beef than any other retailer within the island,\u201d is his boast. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Lidl appoints Robert Ryan as CEO of Irish businessOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"RobertRobert Ryan: ‘We\u2019re prepared to sacrifice margin.’ Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s not just beef prices that have shot up recently. The price of coffee and butter have rocketed, and most other products have risen, too. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs a retailer we can\u2019t absorb all those but we absorb as much as we can. We\u2019re prepared to sacrifice margin. We are a privately-owned business and the pressure for us is maybe not so much as others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lidl doesn\u2019t publish its financial accounts for the Republic, though its annual sales are reported to be well north of \u20ac1 billion. In the North, it\u2019s accounts show a margin of about 2.5 per cent, and Ryan says the performance south of the Border would be in a similar ballpark. <\/p>\n

He says Lidl can apply economies of scale from being part of a large global retailer. \u201cWe have access to one of the biggest wineries in Spain and our own production of coffee and ice cream. That\u2019s what we offer the customers that our competitors don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Its Parkside range of DIY products is the biggest of its kind in Europe, Ryan adds. <\/p>\n

\n

We\u2019re taking a significant [financial] hit but that\u2019s something we\u2019ve always been prepared to do when it comes to price<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Robert Ryan<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lidl has 188 stores in the Republic, with a stated aim to get to 200 by the end of 2026. New outlets have been announced for Killorglin in Kerry, Ballybough in Dublin, Carlow, and two stores in Galway (Portumna and Loughrea). <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a new shop will open in Maynooth in November at a cost of \u20ac10 million. Ryan says it will be Ireland\u2019s first net zero store. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be a template for how stores will be across the rest of the country,\u201d he says, throwing in the fact that Lidl is the \u201cowner of biggest number of solar PV rooftop panels\u201d in the country. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe invested in that a number of years ago.\u201d <\/p>\n

Each new store will have 35-40 full time staff and overall employee numbers will rise to about 6,000 by the end of 2026, if its growth goes to plan. <\/p>\n

In February, Lidl committed to investing a further \u20ac600 million over the next five years, adding up to 35 new stores, and a \u20ac200 million new regional distribution centre in Cork.<\/p>\n

[\u00a025 lessons from Lidl\u2019s 25 years in IrelandOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

To borrow a company slogan, is Ireland approaching Full Lidl in terms of coverage? <\/p>\n

\u201cThings evolve with population growth,\u201d Ryan says. \u201cI\u2019d be confident there\u2019s room for growth beyond [2030] but that\u2019s the target at the moment.\u201d <\/p>\n

Could Lidl get to 300 stores in the Republic? \u201cNever say never but it would be a stretch.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ryan also has responsibility for the whole island, with both run out of the Tallaght HQ. Lidl has 1,500 staff in 43 stores in the North. <\/p>\n

In terms of innovations, Ryan cites recent changes to its Lidl Plus loyalty programme \u2013 which he says has just under 2 million registered active users \u2013 where customers can now collect points that they can use to reduce their bills in store. <\/p>\n

\n

I grew up on checkouts from a young age and it\u2019s in my DNA<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Robert Ryan<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIn the tough market we have right now in terms of price they\u2019re getting a little bit more [value] with their points.\u201d <\/p>\n

It has also just launched a click and pick up service for non-food items (the famous middle aisle products), that will be available across its network. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou click, reserve online and then come to store to pick it up. We\u2019ll see how it goes and look at further developments if that\u2019s a success.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Britain, he says the collection rate has been in the \u201chigh 90s\u201d percentage wise and he expects a similar rate here. <\/p>\n

\"LidlLidl Ireland uses more than 400 Irish suppliers, spending \u20ac1.2 billion on goods and services, says its CEO. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Self-checkouts will have been installed in half of its stores by the end of this year and will be in place in all of its new supermarkets. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe demand [for these] has been phenomenal,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

A charge levelled at Lidl is that you can\u2019t do your full shop there, hence the discounter\u2019s Full Lidl campaign. <\/p>\n

Ryan says it has the top 100 consumer brands in store, and branded products account for about one-third of its sales. He declines to put a percentage figure on sales of middle aisle goods versus grocery products for \u201ccompetition\u201d reasons. <\/p>\n

It uses more than 400 Irish suppliers, spending \u20ac1.2 billion on goods and services, he adds. <\/p>\n

Retail is in Ryan\u2019s blood. His grandmother moved to Dublin from Tipperary to open a shop in Rialto, just south of the city centre. <\/p>\n

\n

Retail is challenging but I have a gr\u00e1 and a passion for it<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Robert Ryan<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

His father Michael and an uncle later took over the business, comprising a Centra convenience store, an off-licence and a \u201ccouple of newsagents\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up on checkouts from a young age and it\u2019s in my DNA. I grew up in that environment and it teaches you so much about efficiencies, waste and getting value for the customer. I was on the checkout from nine or 10 years of age right up to leaving university.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ryan did a business degree in what was then the Dublin Institute of Technology \u201cto keep the options open\u201d and expected to go into the family business until Lidl entered the Irish market and caught his eye. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s been with the German company for 22 years, apart from a three-year stint with Superquinn after Feargal Quinn had sold it to a consortium of investors. <\/p>\n

\u201cI expected to go into the family business but then Lidl opened in Ireland and I\u2019ve been here ever since apart from a short stint in Superquinn. It was probably written in the stars.\u201d <\/p>\n

What was Superquinn like? \u201cIt was chaotic but a great learning curve,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

\"RobertRobert Ryan: ‘We have significant expansion plans and I\u2019m ready to keep the business moving forward and chasing down our competitors.’ Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

His time with Lidl includes three and a half years with the British business, including a stint as chief operating officer (COO). He was COO in Ireland for more than five years before stepping up to the top job. <\/p>\n

Retail is a tough industry, often involving long days and unsocial hours. <\/p>\n

Ryan says he \u201cloves the cut and thrust\u201d of the job. \u201cTo this day, my favourite part of the week is getting out to meet customers across the country. We do market research of course but the best research is shaking hands with customers and asking them what\u2019s missing in our range. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they always mention what they can\u2019t get and that\u2019s what I\u2019ll take back to my buying team and we\u2019ll look at the figures and numbers and see what we can do. <\/p>\n

\u201cRetail is challenging but I have a gr\u00e1 and a passion for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is there much oversight from its German owner? <\/p>\n

\u201cIn Ireland we make our own decisions and we run the business as we see fit. They are close to the business here as you would expect but … we get great freedom to run the business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEfficiency is in our DNA. As a board we begin each week in store on the shop floor, we speak to customers as a board. I\u2019ve never yet come back to the building without a to-do list for our teams from speaking to customers. That\u2019s generally around efficiencies … how we get something at the best value. <\/p>\n

\u201cA number of years ago we reduced the lux levels in our stores by just a fraction but that meant a direct saving correlating to the customer on products.\u201d <\/p>\n

Founded in 1930 as a food wholesaler, Lidl now operates in more than 30 countries with 12,000-plus stores. It is owned by the Schwartz group.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Grocery price inflation tops 6% as back-to-school shopping drives sales surgeOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"11\/09\/202511\/09\/2025 – Business – Lidl Ireland, HQ and Store in Tallaght.\u00a0 Photograph Nick Bradshaw \/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Irish executives percolate through the senior ranks of the German retailer. Its global chief executive is an Irishman, Ken McGrath, while Ryan reminds me that four other countries are run by Irish people, including the French operation, which is run by JP Scally, his predecessor in Tallaght.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t happen by chance. It\u2019s because we do retail very well in Ireland. We regularly see people come from international [business] to look at our offering and the competition in the market and they leave saying \u2018yeah, Ireland is at a very high level\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan is just 43 and has been in the top job in Ireland for a year now. Might he one day spread his wings to another part of Lidl\u2019s global operation?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beauty of Lidl is that it does offer opportunities internationally. But I\u2019m very happy in Ireland. We\u2019ve a lot more to do here. We have significant expansion plans and I\u2019m ready to keep the business moving forward and chasing down our competitors. That\u2019s enough for now.\u201d <\/p>\n

CVName: <\/p>\n

Robert Ryan<\/p>\n

Job: <\/p>\n

Chief executive Lidl Ireland & NI<\/p>\n

Age: <\/p>\n

43<\/p>\n

Location:<\/p>\n

Lucan, Co Dublin. <\/p>\n

Family: <\/p>\n

Married with three daughters, aged 14, 11 and nine.<\/p>\n

Hobbies: <\/p>\n

\u201cTriathlon when I can. Avid reader, everything from leadership books to autobiographies to fiction. And coaching my girls\u2019 football team. It\u2019s a great way of getting free from the stresses of the week.\u201d <\/p>\n

Something you might expect: <\/p>\n

He does all his shopping in Lidl. \u201cThere are a number of pantry items that once or twice a year we buy elsewhere but 99 per cent of our shopping comes from Lidl. My kids have grown up on Crownfield cornflakes and Fallon\u2019s tea [which is a collaboration with Bewley\u2019s].\u201d<\/p>\n

Something that might surprise: <\/p>\n

\u201cI recently did a white collar boxing event for the local Lucan Sarsfield GAA club. Getting punched in the face is not something I particularly enjoyed. I did about six weeks training and there were 700 people at it. It took me right out of my comfort zone.\u2033 He lost. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The reception area of Lidl\u2019s Irish headquarters building in Tallaght hosts reminders of celebrations from earlier this year…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":87957,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[2189,79,2190,18,19,17,19267,3439,41035,19265],"class_list":{"0":"post-87956","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-aldi","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-cost-of-living","11":"tag-eire","12":"tag-ie","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-lidl","15":"tag-retail","16":"tag-tallaght","17":"tag-tesco"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87956"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87956\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}