Aldi to open Moate store next week

The finishing touches are being applied to the new Aldi store in Moate, with the €8 million retail development set to open to the public next week.

The long-planned store on the Athlone Road, which will join Buckley's SuperValu as the second supermarket in Moate, is scheduled to open its doors on Thursday next, October 29.

It will be Aldi's fifth branch in Westmeath, and the retail chain said 30 permanent jobs are being created as a result.

Athlone resident Fiona Smith, a native of Rochfortbridge, has been appointed as manager of the Moate store. An Aldi employee for more than fourteen years, she previously held roles at its stores in Athlone and Tullamore.

"Being a Westmeath native, I am genuinely thrilled to be leading the team for our brand-new store opening in Moate," stated Fiona, a mother of three who is married to Martin.

"We already know many of our shoppers who used to travel into Athlone from Moate and the surrounding areas, so it will be fantastic to see familiar faces alongside plenty of new ones.

"There's incredible excitement building across the local community, and the whole store team can't wait to open the doors."

Planning permission for the new supermarket on a portion of the former Roseland ballroom site was granted by Westmeath County Council nearly three years ago, in November 2023.

After some initial preparatory work at the beginning of this year, construction of the supermarket got fully underway in March.

Within the last number of weeks, final finishes began to be applied to the premises and its surrounds as South Westmeath residents prepared to welcome a new addition to the local retail scene.

The supermarket chain said the 1,171 square metre store in Moate "features Aldi's award-winning 'Project Fresh' layout, with wide aisles and hi-spec fixtures and fittings".

It said the store would offer 116 car parking spaces, including four electric vehicle charging spaces. There will be an in-store bakery, while the checkout area of the supermarket will include five self-service checkouts.

The Moate store includes solar panels which, Aldi said, will contribute to almost 50% of the its energy requirements as part of an ongoing nationwide programme to improve its energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

The development also includes a new pedestrian crossing on the R446 (Athlone Road) to facilitate shoppers accessing the store on foot.

Aldi said the addition of the Moate store will bring its total investment in Westmeath to date to more than €33.3 million.

"Aldi now employs more than 100 people in the county and has welcomed over 1.8 million customers to its Westmeath stores in 2025 alone," a spokesperson said.

Moate store manager Fiona Smith spoke about the career development opportunities available with the company.

"Aldi is a business where hard work, a genuine attitude, and a willingness to learn are truly rewarded," she said.

"There are real pathways to build a long-term career here. It's fast-paced, but the team spirit and career progression opportunities make it a brilliant place to grow."

Since the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme in February 2024, Aldi customers in Westmeath have returned over 14 million drink containers, generating more than €2.4 million in refunds.

Customers at the new Moate store will also have the option to donate their drink container deposit directly to Barnardos, Aldi's longstanding charity partner.