RG Excellence Awards 2026 winner Holland & Barrett is investing €17.5m (£14.65m) in its Irish digital and retail fulfilment operations, over the next three years, as it looks to support growth in the market.

The health and wellness retailer will move fulfilment of its Irish online orders from the UK to Ireland from 1 November, through an expanded three-year partnership with Kildare-based Road Truck Services (RTS).

The investment comprises €8.2m (£6.7m) in a new digital fulfilment model and €9.3m (£7.8m) in existing retail fulfilment operations with RTS.

As part of the move, Holland & Barrett will hold around €1.5m (£1.2m) of additional stock locally, taking its total Irish stockholding to approximately €4.7m (£3.9m).

The retailer expects around 328,000 orders and 1.8 million units to pass through the Irish logistics network each year.

The shift is intended to increase product availability for Irish customers, with the retailer removing its existing 5kg online order weight limit and adding products from 34 Irish brands to its online range.

Holland & Barrett also plans to introduce next-day delivery in Ireland from 1 December.

The expanded partnership with RTS is expected to create around 20 additional roles, alongside agency positions during peak trading periods and a further six to 10 indirect roles.

Holland & Barrett said the investment comes as it continues to see growth across its Irish operations.

Around 2.8 million customers shopped with the retailer in Ireland over the past year, including 300,000 online. Revenue in the market increased 6.2 per cent in its latest financial year, while store sales rose 3.6 per cent and digital sales grew 17.9 per cent.

The retailer currently operates 70 stores and employs 419 people in Ireland. It has opened three new stores and completed three relocations, with 90 per cent of its Irish estate now modernised.

Vineta Bajaj, group CFO at Holland & Barrett, said Ireland was “one of our strongest-performing markets” and an important part of its growth strategy.

She added that holding more stock locally would help the retailer “deliver faster and offer greater choice and availability” as it continues to expand its presence in the market.