Tesco Ireland is growing its retail footprint with plans to open the doors to 10 new stores over the next 12 months as part of a €40m investment.

The retail giant will bring in 400 new jobs with the openings and grow its staff to over 13,500 permanent employees, according to a report by RTÉ.

Geoff Byrne, chief executive of Tesco Ireland said: “This €40m investment underscores our commitment to maintaining our position as a leading employer and retailer in Ireland.

“Our colleagues are at the heart of our business, and we look forward to welcoming new team members this year and recognising them with market-leading rewards and benefits.”

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

As part of the expansion plans, the grocery retailer will open both bigger supermarkets and smaller-format Tesco Express convenience stores. Confirmed stores are going to open in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Louth, and Meath.

Additionally, Tesco Ireland is slated to open a new store in Fermoy, Co. Cork, by the end of July, which will create 100 jobs.

Peter Burke, Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, added: “The creation of these jobs, particularly with the opening of ten new stores across several counties, including Cork, Dublin, and Galway, is a clear endorsement of Ireland’s retail sector and workforce.”

Moving forward, as part of its expansion plans, recruitment for the new stores in M1 Retail Park and Howth will begin around autumn. New positions that Tesco Ireland is recruiting for include customer assistants, delivery drivers and line managers.

Tesco currently operates 183 stores in Ireland and is committed to supporting locally sourced food, currently spending €1.6bn a year on Irish food and drink.