Self-service money in Lidl, which millions of Poles usage all day, hides technology that not everyone knows about. We're talking about built-in cameras that evidence the product scanning process. What has already become almost standard in Poland and Romania, now with momentum enters the German market, raising questions about the boundaries between comfort and privacy. The network massively installs fresh devices, and customers in Germany are just learning that their operations at the box office will be monitored.
Lidl, known for his dynamic innovation, one more time focuses on automation to improve the purchasing process and increase security. However, the implementation of cameras on specified a large scale, especially in a country as delicate to issues of privacy as Germany, has sparked lively discussion. Poland, which is 1 of the first markets where akin solutions have been tested, has become a circumstantial experimental ground. Now that this technology is becoming a standard in the home country of the network, it is worth looking at precisely what it means for customers and what the consequences are.
Automation is the future of trade. How does Lidl change purchases in Poland?
Lidl has been positioned in Poland for years as an innovation leader in the discount segment. It was in our country that the network frequently tested solutions that later hit another European markets. 1 of the most visible examples is Self-service cash registers (SCOs), which Poles accepted with large enthusiasm. According to last year's investigation by the Symmetry Agency, up to 85% of respondents find them convenient and over 76% consider their usage satisfactory.
Why so popular? Experts, specified as UX-expert Krzysztof Kozak, indicate that for many clients it is essential to comfort and avoid unnecessary interaction. The anticipation of self-scanning products, without time force and questions about additional promotions, is seen as a large advantage. Lidl went 1 step further, introducing in Poland besides output gates opened after scanning the receipt and e-paragon systems in Lidl Plus, which further strengthens its image of modern network.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Lidla's home market, this process was much slower. Self-service cash registers were treated there as an add-on, not a strategy basis. The situation changed diametrically in early 2024 erstwhile the network placed a immense order for modern devices, signaling a strategical turn towards full automation, modelled on successes from Poland and Romania.
Cameras at Lidel's cash register. What precisely are they recording, and why?
The main innovation that presently goes to German stores is self-service cash registers equipped with video systems. These cameras monitor the product scanning zoneand their main nonsubjective is to increase safety and reduce losses. This technology has 2 main tasks: detecting attempted theft and eliminating unintended errors made by customers.
The strategy is based on advanced algorithms. The camera shall evidence the product being scanned and the checking weight shall verify whether it complies with the weight of the goods placed in the packing zone. In the event of a discrepancy, the strategy may block the transaction and call the service staff. A akin solution, according to manufacture media, successfully functions in the UK, where automatically detects the products that the client missed in the scanning, which importantly improves staff work and reduces service times.
The scale of the operation is impressive. According to “Trade News”, Lidl placed an order for more than 10,000 self-service cash registers with cameras. In Germany, about 3250 facilities, new systems already operate in over 500 stores. The implementation is part of a broader strategy, including the installation of starting gates, which creates a coherent control and safety ecosystem, well known to Polish customers.
Recording customers and GDPR. Do we have anything to fear?
The introduction of video surveillance at cash registers inevitably raises questions about privacy and protection of individual data. According to the European GDPR Regulation, video recording on which a individual can be identified is treated as individual data. Their processing requires a solid legal basis and the data controller (in this case Lidlu) rests the work to be transparent.
The trading network is likely to base its activities on the alleged "legally justified interest" of preventing theft and fraud. However, it is crucial that customers be clearly and clearly informed of this fact. In Poland and Romania, the implementation of this technology took place comparatively quietly – many customers may inactive not realize that their activities are recorded. In Germany, where awareness of data protection is much higher, the deficiency of adequate communication can be met with much stronger opposition.
Lidl emphasizes that technology only serves to improve safety and destruct errors, and data is not utilized for any another purpose. Nevertheless, for many customers, the awareness of being recorded during the regular activity of buying may be uncomfortable. The question remains whether the benefits of increased automation and safety outweigh the concerns of increasing surveillance in public space.
Continued here:
Lidl records clients at the cash register. A solution known from Poland goes to Germany
