We need to talk about the offers in the Lidl Plus app
We love Lidl. Their dishwasher tablets, tiramisu and chocolate-covered pistachios are just a few of our affordable favorites. When these are on sale, we love the supermarket even a little more than we already did. Some Lidl offers are only available in the Lidl Plus app. So you can only use them if you have the app. But is that actually allowed?
Customers who do not have a smartphone or cannot or do not want to download the app therefore cannot make use of the discount. Is that a form of exclusion? And why does Lidl do this at all? Consumer affairs programme Radar investigated.
Lidl Plus app: shop for even less
The Lidl Plus app is an app that you can download for free. It comes with all kinds of benefits. It is a kind of personal loyalty card, where you can find personal discount coupons, your digital receipt and discounts on outings and services. And, of course, extra offers that are available exclusively in the Lidl Plus app. As a customer, you can use these extra offers by having your loyalty card scanned at the checkout.
Albert Heijn basically has this system too, but with the Bonuskaart. At this supermarket, you get by far the most discounts when you have your Bonuskaart scanned. With Albert Heijn Premium, you get even more discounts (for 12 euros per year), often tailored personally to your needs. Another difference from Lidl is that you can still get the (free) Bonuskaart in card form. You can pick one up at the service desk.
Future-proof?
If you do not have the Lidl Plus app—or, even more so, if you do not have a smartphone—you cannot use the offers. Why did Lidl choose this approach? Lidl told Radar that it had conducted research into its target audience beforehand. This showed that “the vast majority of our customers have a smartphone.” They expect the share of smartphone users to rise to as much as 90% in the future. That is why they believe the solution is very much “future-proof.” Lidl also emphasizes that it is an additional service offered by the supermarket. Customers can choose whether or not to use the app, and the supermarket therefore believes that it is not discriminating against or excluding customers.
Their own rules
Supermarkets may set their own terms and conditions for promotions or offers. There are no specific rules governing this, according to the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), which told Radar. Lidl must, however, clearly indicate in this case that the offers are only valid for customers who use the app.
In short, what Lidl is doing with the Lidl Plus app is allowed. So if you want to take advantage of those extra offers, you will have to download the app. Or buy a smartphone.
Also read:
- Lidl dishwasher tablets named Best Product of the Year
- Albert Heijn taken to court: receipts still full of errors
- Lidl is the best supermarket for fresh ready meals
Source: Radar
