Lidl starts self-scan trial in Belgium

German discounter Lidl is going to trial a self-scan system in Belgium. However, it is not simply an expansion of the pilot currently held in the Netherlands.

Scan & Go

Lidl is looking what kind of systems it can test in its Belgian stores in the coming months, spokesperson Isabelle Colbrandt confirmed to SudInfo. Letting customers scan their own groceries should be a big step forward for shopping convenience, she explained.

Unlike in the Netherlands, however, very little is clear yet about the how and when. The Dutch trial resolutely went for smartphone self-scanning, but that choice has not yet been made in Belgium. Which shops will participate, is also not yet decided. “We are still thinking about the best system and how many shops we want to test in”, Colbrandt elaborated. Lidl has previously experimented with self-service checkouts in Belgium, but they were removed again shortly afterwards.

The Dutch test, in two stores in Apeldoorn and Beuningen, allows customers to check in using the Lidl Plus app and then scan the products themselves. This way, they can immediately put their purchases in the shopping bag and only have to pay at the self-service checkout.