Lidl rolls out major change to all 960 stores after successful trial last year

15 February 2024 , 12:28

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The new labels will be rolled out across Lidl stores in the UK from today (Image: South Wales Echo)

Lidl is replacing its paper pricing tags with electronic shelf labels in all 960 of its UK stores.

The discount supermarket chain said the move comes after a successful trial in over 35 locations last year which included sites in Epsom and Tooting and will be rolled out over the coming few months. Every Lidl store should have the new labels by the end of the year.

Lidl says the move will help "drive efficiency" in its stores. This is because Lidl workers will spend less time manually updating the price tags and will be able to focus on things such as helping customers and restocking shelves. In a survey conducted by the supermarket, over two-thirds of shoppers surveyed said they didn’t notice the change which Lidl says helps "reinforce" of making the switch.

Alongside this, Lidl claims the change will save 206 tonnes of carbon each year through paper and packaging reductions - the supermarket's ink usage also be drastically minimised.

Lidl says all stores should have the electronic labels by the end of the year (Lidl)

Isaac Ekpenyong, director of sales organisation at Lidl said: “As a discounter, sustainability and efficiency run deep in our DNA. Making changes to how we operate, no matter how big or small, allow us to enhance the overall experience for those shopping with us.

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"In this particular case, we’re empowering colleagues by freeing up more of their time to dedicate to tasks that directly benefit our customers. But our transition to Electronic Shelf Labels is more than that; it is another step we are taking to reduce our impact on the environment by curbing paper and ink consumption.”

Lidl is the second supermarket chain to rollout electronic labelling in its stores with Aldi starting to trial them in 2021 and has been rolling them out across stores since last year. Asda, Tesco, and Morrisons have also trialled the labels. Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's do not have them in their stores and Morrisons has them in a small number.

Lidl has also launched a bottle return trial across its 21 Glasgow stores. The scheme will see customers get a 5p voucher in exchange for depositing empty plastic bottles and aluminium cans. There is no cap on the number of items that can be returned, and Lidl will accept bottles and cans purchased from any retailer, as long as they are clean and uncrushed. The trial will run until August 11 where the chain will decide on whether to rollout the scheme further.

Ruby Flanagan