Tesco Ireland is set to create 200 jobs within the next year with opening of seven new stores and six mobile phone shops. 

Some 80 new jobs will be created before Christmas it said as part of the company’s €70m capital investment programme for 2013. This includes 48 new jobs  with the opening of five new Express convenience stores in Cork (Douglas Road), College Green (Dublin), Dorset Street (Dublin), Leonards Corner (Dublin) and Glasnevin Avenue (Dublin). Its first new Express shop opens tomorrow in Glasnevin Avenue, Finglas.

Fourteen jobs will also be created with the opening of new Tesco Mobile phone shops in Tesco stores in Maynooth, Tallaght, Drogheda, Clearwater (Dublin), Wilton (Cork) and Clarehall (Dublin). Tesco is also recruiting 18 third-level graduates, as part of the company’s graduate jobs and training schemes. These graduates will be based in stores around the country and at Tesco’s head office in Dun Laoghaire and will involve training internationally as well as Ireland.

A further 120 new jobs will come on line with the opening of new stores in Dundalk and Honeypark (Dun Laoghaire) next year. Construction work on these stores is now well under way.

In making the announcement this morning Agriculture Minister  Simon Coveney TD said: “The food sector is showing resilience and dynamism. Last year the value of food and drink exports exceeded €9bn for the first time, with many Irish companies selling to Tesco markets abroad.  But food is not just for export.  Local sales of food and drink products also translate into jobs in retail and the supply and distribution chain – as well as supporting producers in every county. Tesco brings to retail a wealth of consumer insight and the jobs that will now be created offer great opportunities to acquire high-quality skills that are in demand in today’s consumer-led economy. ”

Tesco Ireland CEO Philip J Clarke said jobs continue to be the most important issue in Ireland and Tesco was delighted to create new positions across the country. “These permanent new jobs and new stores will help boost local economic activity at a difficult time for the Irish economy.  With more than 15,000 employees, Tesco is one of the biggest private sector employers in the country and offers exciting career development opportunities in Ireland and internationally.

“I am particularly pleased that today’s announcement includes a doubling of the number of graduates we normally recruit. Parents are anxious for their sons and daughters who graduate to be able to get good employment in Ireland and our Graduate Training Programme that has now been running for more than 10 years provides tremendous opportunities. These positions are excellent career platforms for young emerging Irish talent.

“Our new store openings will also boost economic activity because Tesco stores are the largest buyer of Irish food products in the world, will stock 100 per cent fresh Irish beef, pork, lamb and milk as well as a range of fresh local produce.”

The stores at Finglas and Douglas will open this week while the opening of the Tesco mobile phone shops follows the announcement last month that the company had acquired up to 200,000 customers in Ireland.

Tesco’s support for the Irish economy has been confirmed at €2.7bn per year.  Of this, some €705.8m is the export of Irish food products to the Tesco business worldwide, (mainly UK and other European countries) making Tesco the second largest market for Irish food exports worldwide, exceeding exports to France, Germany or US. Tesco accounts for up to 9 per cent of Irish food exports.