Why does Lidl refuse meal vouchers? This is the question asked by many consumers who are used to shopping in one of the German giant's 1,580 French stores. The answer is simple: accepting this payment method would mean financial losses for the company, CNews reports.
A strategic choice
And for good reason: Lidl's profit margins are generally below 3%, which can be explained by the retailer's historical strategy of focusing on low prices. However, the administrative costs inherent in the processing of meal vouchers are about 4% in France. As our colleagues explain, adopting this payment method would be counterproductive for the brand, which does not want to increase the price of its products to compensate for these losses.
Meal vouchers, lunch vouchers and other alternative payment methods will therefore continue to be refused at the checkouts of Lidl stores, as the brand only accepts payments by cash, credit cards or even traditional cheques in the case of some supermarkets.
A "Title-Caddie"
This question is part of a context marked by the recent U-turn of the government, which has finally given up on limiting the use of meal vouchers in supermarkets. A decision that "serves one to the other, as if restaurant owners were not affected by inflation," reacted Thierry Marx. Invited this Friday on the set of the 12/13 info of franceinfo, the president of the Union of Hospitality Trades and Industrialists (Umih) asked to be received by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne to discuss this subject.
Initially, the meal voucher was intended to be an aid for employees who do not have access to a company restaurant, the Michelin-starred chef recalled. "He must not become a headline," he said. According to him, "6% of these meal vouchers go to supermarkets", which has already led to a loss of turnover of "200 million euros" for French restaurateurs.
- Economy
- Lidl
- Consumption
- Large-scale distribution
- Payment
- Controversy