POWERING UP: LIDL PLUS TO BECOME FIRST SUPERMARKET REWARDS APP TO INTEGRATE EVC PAYMENTS

• Lidl customers charging their electric vehicles whilst shopping will soon be able to pay via the Lidl Plus app.
• It will be the first time a supermarket has integrated payment within its rewards app, helping to enhance the customer shopping experience.
• Since 2017, Lidl has invested over £15m into its electric vehicle charging infrastructure and has one of the highest proportions of rapid chargers in the supermarket sector.
• Lidl is the only discounter to offer its customers a rewards scheme, having launched Lidl Plus in 2020.

Lidl GB has announced that it’s set to become the first supermarket in Britain to integrate payment of electric vehicle charging (EVC) within its rewards app.

In the latest development for the discounter’s hugely popular Lidl Plus rewards scheme, customers using Lidl’s electric vehicle charging points will soon be able to pay for their power via the app; a move that will further enhance the customer shopping experience.

Currently provided through Pod Point, the transition will start to take place this summer and is due to be completed across all of Lidl’s 370+ charge points nationwide by the end of the year.

The update comes after Kantar data revealed a market share high of 8.1%, as Lidl took pole position as the fastest growing bricks and mortar supermarket for the past 10 months in a row.

With sustainability deeply rooted in the discounter’s DNA, Lidl started rolling out electric vehicle charging points across its store network in 2017 and has invested over £15m into its EVC infrastructure in that time.

Whilst new planning applications now require the installation of electric vehicle charging where possible, Lidl has been going one step further by prioritising rapid charge points. With around 300 rapid chargers across its network Lidl’s EVC offering aligns more closely with its customer’s needs, ensuring they can get a more meaningful and quicker charge whilst they shop. This in turn means that more customers can charge their vehicles over the course of the day.

Richard Taylor, Chief Development Officer, commented: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Lidl. I’m incredibly proud of the investment that we’ve made into our EV charging infrastructure over the years, going above and beyond the sector to give greater access to rapid charging. Since we opened our first store 30 years ago, Lidl has contributed to a shift in the way that people shop for their groceries, and this is the latest example of how we’re doing just that, so that we can further enhance our customers’ shopping experience.”   

Customers will be notified via the Pod Point app when the switch over will start and will be able to access full instructions via the charging terminals.

Unlike other models of partnership Lidl has always owned the charge points at its stores. This has enabled the discounter to take a more ambitious and customer-centric approach to its EVC infrastructure.

Lidl Plus forms part of Lidl’s commitment to providing customers with the best value whilst enhancing their shopping experience with features and campaigns that go beyond promotions. It launched in 2020 and Lidl remains the only discounter to offer a loyalty app.

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About Lidl GB

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl GB has experienced continuous growth and today has over 32,000 employees, over 960 stores and 14 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales.

As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl is one of Europe’s leading organisations in the food retail industry. The supermarket, which has around 375,000 employees globally, currently operates over 12,350 stores and more than 225 logistics centres and warehouses in 31 countries.

The supermarket takes pride in providing its customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices throughout Great Britain, from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight. Social responsibility and sustainability are at the core of the company's daily operations, with the company placing a strong emphasis on its responsibility for people, society, and the environment. Lidl GB is passionate about working with British producers and sources two thirds of its products from British suppliers.

The Schwarz Group, which operates worldwide as a retail group, generated a revenue of €167.2 billion in the financial year 2023.

For more information about Lidl GB visit corporate.lidl.co.uk.