Almost 5,000 Derry~Londonderry residents have signed a petition in just seven days in support of Lidl Northern Ireland’s long-awaited new Crescent Link store, following a legal challenge by rival supermarket Tesco.
Lidl says the response underlines the strength of local support for a £10 million investment, which received ministerial approval in June following a planning process spanning more than six years.
The petition, being managed for Lidl by research firm Customer Perceptions, was launched following Tesco’s decision to challenge the planning permission - an action that has galvanised local support for the Crescent Link development.
The strength of local backing reinforces the clear demand for a second Lidl store in the city, which would give local households more choice and access to the highest quality produce at market-leading value.
Independent research undertaken in November 2025 found that 93% of local respondents agreed that Derry~Londonderry should have more than one Lidl store. Demand is already proven by the 90% of respondents who shop at Lidl’s Buncrana Road/Springtown Road store, while a near-unanimous 95% said they would shop at a Lidl store closer to their home, were one available.
That support has also been reflected across social media channels, where posts about the development have attracted a substantial volume of supportive comments from local people.
Derry~Londonderry is one of Lidl’s strongest performing locations in Northern Ireland, with its existing Buncrana Road/Springtown Road store recording the highest footfall across the retailer’s regional network. Lidl says the petition response is a further clear indication of the demand for its offering in the city.
Lidl Northern Ireland has committed to investing £31 million in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area over the next five years. The plan includes the £10 million investment in the new Crescent Link store and will see Lidl expand its footprint in the area by a further three stores, creating more than 100 permanent in-store jobs and sustaining more than 500 jobs throughout the construction phases.
Tesco’s judicial review challenge puts the timely delivery of substantial economic and consumer benefits at risk. The Lidl Crescent Link development itself would create more than 30 permanent local jobs and support 200 construction jobs, alongside new opportunities for local suppliers. Lidl said the investment would also bring increased competition to the area, helping families and households keep the cost of their weekly shop down when they need it most.
Gordon Cruikshanks, Regional Managing Director, Lidl Northern Ireland, said:
“Almost 5,000signatures in just one week is an incredible public response, and people of Derry~Londonderry have made clear that they want this approved Lidl store at Crescent Link to be delivered.
“This is not a speculative proposal. Independent research shows that 93% of local respondents believe the city should have more than one Lidl store, while 95% say they would shop at a Lidl store closer to home. The demand is clear, significant and independently evidenced.
“Tesco’s judicial review challenge threatens to delay the greater choice and value that local households have made clear they want. At stake is the timely delivery of a £10 million investment, more than 30 permanent local jobs, 200 construction jobs and stronger competition for families at a time when value matters more than ever.”
“Lidl remains fully committed to Crescent Link. We will continue to follow the proper process and do all we can to deliver the choice, value and local investment that this community has so clearly backed.”
Derry Residents Back Lidl Store Plans
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