Lidl, the popular budget supermarket, is set to enhance its checkout experience by introducing scan and shop technology across its 980 UK outlets. The retailer has applied for a trademark across Europe and the UK for “Lidl and Go,” a digital payment system designed to streamline how customers pay for their groceries.
This new development includes self-service electronic terminals branded under “Lidl Pay,” which will integrate seamlessly with Lidl’s existing loyalty app, Lidl Plus. Acting as a digital wallet and mobile payment platform, Lidl Pay will allow customers to make secure, contactless purchases directly from their smartphones, transforming the shopping experience into a faster, more flexible journey.
Shyam Unarket, Customer Relations Director at Lidl GB, emphasized the company’s commitment to balancing innovation and customer choice: “We are committed to investing in technologies that simplify the customer journey and offer greater flexibility in how people shop with us. Whether customers prefer using traditional tills or self-checkouts, we want to ensure that every shopper can choose the experience that best suits them.”
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Lidl’s push towards digital innovation coincides with a period of strong growth. The retailer revealed that its profits have tripled, a rise fueled by increasing customer defections from rival supermarkets amid the cost-of-living crisis. Turnover for the year ending February 28 hit £11.7 billion, up 7.9% from the previous year, while pre-tax profits surged to £156.8 million from £43.6 million.
As Britain’s fastest-expanding supermarket chain, Lidl has capitalized on growing consumer demand and opened new stores aggressively. The retailer recently attracted 38 million additional customer visits, with gains evenly spread across competitors. Analysts suggest Lidl could soon overtake Morrisons to become the UK’s fifth-largest grocery chain.
Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB’s chief executive, highlighted the brand’s broad appeal: “Our gains from customers switching supermarkets are balanced across all our competitors. We have been focused on delivering low prices and high quality, and that has been really well received by shoppers.”
Looking ahead, Lidl plans to open approximately 40 new stores this year, pushing its store count beyond 1,000. McDonnell remains confident in this growth trajectory, noting, “There are hundreds of opportunities for us to open shops across the country.”
In summary, Lidl’s rollout of scan and shop technology through Lidl Pay signals a significant step in its digital evolution, complementing continued investment in physical stores and customer convenience, all while maintaining traditional checkout options that shoppers value.