Lidl Ireland deploys hundreds of Re-turn machines in stores and constructs Deposit Return Rooms

Lidl Ireland reports significant progress in the installation of in-store solutions enabling customers to return cans and bottles.

In a LinkedIn post, Alan Barry, Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Lidl Ireland & Lidl Northern Ireland, says: “In less than 12 months Lidl Ireland has installed 358 Re-turn machines in 179 stores, constructed 88 Deposit Return Rooms and invested tens of millions of euros.”

“Our solution puts the customer first with two Re-turn machines in every store ensuring no customer has to queue to return cans or bottles.”

He added: “Every year an estimated 1.9 billion cans and plastic bottles are consumed and by 2029 as part of the Single Use Plastics Directive, Ireland must recycle 90%.”

“With the launch of Re-turn today, we are happy to play our part in creating A Better Tomorrow. All this would not have been possible without a phenomenal effort from a hugely dedicated team.”

Top of the pops

Last month, Uncrowd, a technology firm that uses observational data to compare customer experiences between brands, announced 12 customer experience awards for UK supermarkets, according to data gathered in December. 

The awards recognise which retailers did best on 12 different areas of customer experience in-store. 

Sainsbury’s won on loyalty programme, marketing and strategy, with its Nectar scheme being best communicated out of all the retailers.

Tesco was observed to be the easiest store to shop, while Morrisons came out on top for product presentation, with its fresh deli counters helping to inspire shoppers with seasonal treats.  

Aldi did best on price - how customers experience prices in-store.

M&S won across inspiration, presentation of premium products and how well stores operated. Lidl triumphed in the availability of value basics for shoppers.

Asda did well on in-store staff standards. And lastly, Waitrose came out on top for product choice. 

Uncrowd CEO Richard Hammond, says: “It’s fascinating to see the nitty-gritty of this data. This isn’t just about which retailer has the fattest market-share, it’s about how customers experience these shops at a very basic level, from whether the floor is clean to how easy the loyalty scheme is to understand.”

“This kind of data can show retailers the small improvements that can make all our shopping experiences better." 

Uncrowd’s awards was based on data collected by quantitative analysts using the app CrowdAF to make 72,450 observations on secret visits to 69 standard supermarket stores across England between14th - 19th  December.