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.
