THE massive turnover of Fermanagh’s biggest supermarkets has been revealed, with Asda alone turning over a whooping £40 million a year.
The figures were disclosed in a report by Council planners, which recommends granting permission for a controversial new Lidl store in Enniskillen.
In their report, the planners carried out an assessment on the health of the county’s ‘convenience retail’ offering, with a view to examining how another new large supermarket in the area would impact this.
The new Lidl is proposed for the Lakelands Leisure and Retail Park, which is currently in development.
It will be the second Lidl in Enniskillen, with the other located just a short distance down the Irvinestown Road, and the third in Fermanagh, with another Lidl store in Lisnaskea.
The report noted the catchment area for the new store included Enniskillen itself, as well as Irvinestown, Lisnaskea, Dromore and surrounding areas.
With an estimated population of around 73,000, the report notes that shops within this catchment area will have a total turnover of £144.32 million in 2025.
“The available spend in the catchment on convenience goods is £158.09 million in 2025,” the report stated.
The report goes on to outline how the new store will turnover £11.85 million, and would have the “typical sales density for Lidl.”
It notes the existing Lidl in Enniskillen, at the Railway Junction Retail Park, will turnover £5.51 million in 2025.
The report noted there was surplus capacity for additional floorspace in Enniskillen of between 1,300-1,600sqm. It also estimated that in 2025 there will be “surplus expenditure” in Enniskillen of £33.1 million.
With regard the town’s other big supermarkets, the report states the turnover for 2025 would be £2.81 million for Dunnes Stores; £1.72 million for Marks and Spencers at Erneside Shopping Centre; and £30.72 million for Tesco.
The report notes ‘local shops in Enniskillen’ have a turn over of £8.17 million.
It was the planners’ assessment that the new Lidl would mainly divert trade from the two largest superstores, Asda and Tesco, estimating this diversion to be in the region of £3.3 million from the former and £2.2 million from the later.
The planners added that the intention was to keep the existing Lidl store open for a period of at least five years.
This stipulation is one of several conditions the Council planners have set out as part of their recommendation to approve permission for the store.
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