Clare’s Wix & Wax Ireland gets 'kickstart' from Lidl Ireland
Retailer picks 48 Irish suppliers as the cream of the crop for this year’s Kickstart supplier development programme which will showcase 112 new products instore this September
Lidl Ireland is set to give a ‘Kickstart’ to a new batch of 48 Irish producers from across the country who successfully earned a place on the retailer’s coveted Kickstart Supplier Development Programme – an initiative that the retailer has invested more than €30 million in supporting over 250 Irish producers to date.
Following a competitive Dragon’s Den style pitch process to find this year’s most innovative products, 48 suppliers across 20 different counties including Wix & Wax Ireland from Ennis were selected as the cream of the crop after an intensive application process which saw producers put through their paces with a business pitch to Lidl’s buying team and a taste test to select the best in category.
Established in 2020, Wix & Wax Ireland is a luxury home fragrance company specialising in the creation of high-quality hand-crafted home fragrances. All Wix & Wax products are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.
Successful producers will now see their artisan offerings on sale on Lidl shelves across its 220 stores across the island of Ireland from September 19th for a limited time, while stocks last. This includes Wix & Wax’s Brittle Wax Melts which will be available in Lidl stores nationwide.
From high-quality convenience foods, fish and meat, to beauty, baking, ice cream, condiments and beers – as well as the programme’s first ever pet food item – this year’s assortment will have something for everyone, with a marked focus on unveiling some of Ireland’s best circular economy products to offer more sustainable choice for customers.
Before the products hit the shelves, this six-month development programme offers suppliers dedicated business support from Lidl’s in-house experts, advancing their product, brand and business with practical guidance on how to scale production, drive production efficiency, as well as product development and packaging support, allowing them to optimise on-shelf opportunities in the Autumn and scale for success.
Now in its eighth year, and supported by Bord Bia, this year’s programme saw a record number of applicants from every province in Ireland.
Kate O’Driscoll, Supplier Development Manager at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said: “Lidl’s Kickstart Supplier Development programme allows us to support Irish producers building their businesses while providing our customers with a great range of new and innovative Irish products."
"Since 2016, Lidl has invested more than €30 million in growing and supporting small local producers – an investment which has seen huge success over the years with several Kickstart products getting fully listed and now being part of Lidl’s everyday product range," she continued.
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