An article from Comment Économiser highlights a very practical issue with the Lidl Plus loyalty app in France: shoppers may scan their QR code at checkout and assume all available discounts have been applied, when in fact some promotions need to be manually activated in the app before payment.
Since early 2026, Lidl’s loyalty system has also evolved towards a points-based reward model, making the digital journey even more central to how customers access value.
That raises an important question for retail communication:
Is value still value if part of the audience misses it?
Digital loyalty apps can be powerful tools.
They can personalise offers.
Reward frequency.
Capture data.
Support targeted promotions.
Create stronger customer relationships.
But they also add steps.
Open the app.
Check the offers.
Activate the coupon.
Scan the QR code.
Verify the receipt.
For some shoppers, that is easy. For others, it creates friction.
Older consumers, time-pressed families, digitally cautious households or people who simply do not want every promotion to depend on a screen may end up feeling excluded from the very value message retailers want to promote.
This is where the role of leaflets, door drops and other physical retail media remains highly relevant.
They make offers visible before the store visit. They help households compare value at home.
They support shopping lists and budget planning. They are easy to understand without a login, download or activation step.
The future of loyalty should not be digital-only. It should be shopper-first.
Because the strongest retail communication is not the one with the most mechanics.
It is the one that makes value clear, accessible and easy to act on.
#ELMA #Lidl #RetailMarketing #LoyaltyMarketing #ShopperBehaviour #LeafletMarketing #DoorDrops #RetailMedia #GroceryRetail #ConsumerTrust #MediaMix #EuropeanRetail