Lidl’s app follows retail tech adoption by other high-street chains including The Co-Op, SPAR, Londis and Budgens, from retail tech leaders Ubamarket. Will Broome, CEO of Ubamarket, discusses the trend towards technology in retail, and details the frontline features of Ubamarket’s next-gen app
Lidl is introducing its ‘Lidl Plus’ mobile app to stores in the UK, following an early introduction in the Republic of Ireland last month.
The mobile payment option allows customers to pay in-app and collect loyalty points, whilst granting access to partner offers. The introduction of the app points to an overarching trend of larger retailers looking to adopt mobile technology to modernise the retail experience, with Sainsbury’s and M&S also recently introducing scan & shop or mobile payment options in several stores.
However, when it comes to mobile technology, M&S and Sainsbury’s are second to market behind other grocers such as The Co-Op, SPAR and Londis, who have partnered with pioneers of mobile technology, Ubamarket.
Whilst some retailers are introducing mobile payment and basic app technology, Ubamarket’s next generation shopping app implements machine learning and a variety of innovative features such as aisle sat-nav, plastic alerts, allergen and dietary information in-app age verification, and AI-backed personalised offers and discounts.
Will Broome, Founder and CEO of Ubamarket, provides the following commentary:
“Having been the first to develop and implement Scan, Pay, Go in selected Budgens stores some four years ago, we are delighted that the concept is now becoming increasingly mainstream and that major retailers are following suit by embracing our concept. It’s extremely encouraging to see that larger retailers are coming to understand the importance of retail technology and its place in modernising the sector.
At Ubamarket, we pride ourselves on having the world’s leading and most sophisticated Scan, Pay & Go product which is now available to all retailers in their own brand. This has already been successfully adopted by SPAR, Londis and Budgens, and is soon to appear in the Co-Op.
We are committed to developing next-generation technologies such as AI-backed personalised offers, aisle sat-nav’s, till-less checkout, and even facial recognition for the purposes of age verification. These are the technologies that will help to transform the outdated retail sector to thrive in a post-COVID shopping landscape, and to provide customers with a safer and more convenient way to shop.”