Two new Lidl stores will open in Glanmire in Cork and Ballina in Mayo today with the creation of 45 jobs.

There are 145 Lidl stores in Ireland and this will bring the supermarket chain's workforce in the State to almost 4,000.

The German chain has benefitted from increased spends during Irish shoppers' supermarket trips - according to the Kantar Worldpanel Lidl's market share in Ireland is 8%.

It has enjoyed double-digit sales growth for four consecutive quarters - out-pacing the Aldi the other major German retailer in the Irish market.

Aoife Clarke, Head of Communications commented on the store openings, she says that they "reinforce our ongoing commitment to offering customers across Ireland top quality products at market-leading prices every day."

Latest figures show the Irish supermarket sector is continuing to grow, with consumer spend increasing by 3.8% over the 12 weeks to mid-February.

The share figures from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland show that SuperValu remains the number one retailer, capturing 25% of the grocery market.

Kantar says good sales growth of 4.4% has seen the grocer perform ahead of the market, increasing its share from 24.8% last year.