Lidl tests loyalty app in Germany

Discounter Lidl will be launching an app-based loyalty card in Germany, after a successful trial in four other countries. The Lidl Plus scheme will be rolled out to customers in Berlin and Brandenburg first.

Virtual membership card

Currently, Lidl Plus is in use in Austria, Denmark, Poland and Spain, but now Germany is added to the list. After a one-time registration, customers will receive a virtual bonus card on their smartphones, which can be scanned at the register during checkout. Coupons are automatically taken into account in the final price calculation. Once users reach specific spending milestones, they will either receive virtual vouchers for the next visit or free products.

Upon registering, customers receive a welcoming present in the form of a 5-euro discount, which can exchanged when they spend at least 25 euros. Lidl also promises additional partner perks, which usually are ticket discounts for places like the Berlin Aqua Dom & Sea Life or Madame Tussaud’s wax museum.

WiFi

The German version of the Lidl Plus programme is currently in a testing phase. The system will first be launched in the Berlin and Brandenburg outlets. To ensure proper functionality, decent mobile internet reception is necessary, which is still a problem in many of the stores.

Consequently, the chain has decided to install WiFi in all of its outlets. Germany has more than 3000 Lidl stores, so it will take some time to complete the installation of all those networks. The roll-out of Lidl Plus is therefore expected to occur step by step throughout Germany. Whether and when the app will be introduced in the Benelux is not yet known.