Lidl has announced it plans to digitise its entire chain of 650 stores in Spain, as part of a more sustainable approach to its in-store signage.
The chain said in a statement it will invest €50 million to deploy new digital signage allowing shelves to rapidly transmit electronic data such as the description of the product and its price.
As part of the sustainability measure, all paper price signs will be eliminated and approximately 3,500 digital signs will be implemented at each point of sale, saving more than 2,900 tonnes of paper per year, the company said.
The decision to implement Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) across its chain of stores follows a pilot test carried out recently in Lidl’s stores in Zaragoza. The chain said it plans to roll out the measure progressively this year and next.
Michaela Reischl, director of CSR for Lidl Spain, said: “As a company we find ourselves in a constant search for processes and solutions that allow us to reinforce our commitment to the conservation of resources. That in turn implies an improvement both in the purchase experience of our customers as well as in the management of the store team.”
One of the benefits of the new signage is that the store team can spend more time on other tasks such as customer service. Lidl added that it plans to further promote projects such as its Lidl Plus app, which allows, among other functions, access to the e-ticket, removing the need to print the purchase receipt. In addition users can receive a digital brochure through the app itself or via WhatsApp.
