On-shelf service offers low-cost, mess-free refills that reduce plastic use
Have you ever considered using a supermarket refill station but refrained due to worries over potential mess?
Such concerns could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a groundbreaking new trial from Lidl GB.
Lidl customers in three Midlands stores have the opportunity to refill their Formil laundry detergent using ‘smart’ pouches and an on-shelf ‘smart’ refill machine.
The state-of-art refill machine is the first of its kind to be trialled in the UK, providing Lidl customers with a mess-free refill solution on the supermarket shelves.
Lidl hopes the innovation will save its customers money, reduce plastic use and make life easier for the whole supply chain, through the following benefits:
- Cost: Customers will save 20p per refill compared to regular Formil bottles – making it the supermarket’s cheapest laundry wash option
- Speed: Automated touchscreen experience combined with innovative ‘closed-fill’ pouch-cap technology means faster filling without the risk of mess and spills
- Sustainability: Smart pouches save 59g of plastic per refill – the weight of an equivalent ‘single-use’ bottle – whilst minimising CO2 and water usage
- Efficiency: Refill unit takes up the space of just 66 Formil bottles but has the capacity to fill over 245 individual pouches after just one replenishment, whilst transporting the detergent in bulk packaging makes logistics more efficient
Mark Newbold, CSR Manager at Lidl GB, said: “We are incredibly proud of this latest innovation, which will enable our customers to save money and reduce their plastic consumption. We were the first UK supermarket to introduce smart laundry detergent refill stations and now we’re the first to introduce this next generation design.
“It’s our strong belief that good quality and value should go together. We are committed to providing our customers with cost saving solutions that can help their wallets and the planet.”
The smart technology used in Lidl’s refill machine is provided by Chilean start-up company Algramo, which translates as “by the gram”. The company’s distribution system uses vending machines and reusable packaging to allow people to purchase products in small quantities and pay about 40% less for life’s essentials.
Algramo’s smart technology uses a special chip placed in the Formil pouches that allows their refill machine to distinguish between new and reused pouches, ensuring the customer gets their saving of 20p after their first use.
It will also help Lidl and Algramo to understand how many times each pouch is refilled and therefore how much packaging has been saved through the trial.
The trial will take place in Lidl’s Swadlincote, Lichfield and Kingswinford stores and builds on a six-month pilot of a larger, standing refill machine at the Kingswinford store, which went down well with customers.
97% of those who used the machine said they would recommend it to a friend or colleague, whilst 88% said they plan to use it again soon.
Image courtesy of Lidl.
