Lidl Ireland has expanded its partnership with car- and van-sharing service GoCar by installing 100 pay-as-you-go vehicles to rent in 50 stores across Ireland.
In the past year, more than 6,000 Lidl customers have availed of the GoCar service at stores all over the country.
The retailer initially partnered with GoCar in December 2022, to conduct an initial trial, which saw 20 vehicles placed across ten Lidl stores over a three-month period.
Following the success of the trial, Lidl accelerated its partnership to deliver this extended fleet.
With two GoCars installed at each participating store, shoppers across 20 counties can avail of the scheme.
The counties included are Carlow, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.
The strategic partnership aims to provide Lidl shoppers with additional services, to support accessibility.
This latest innovation complements the retailer’s existing OOHPod parcel lockers, which offer shoppers the convenience of picking up their online purchases during their weekly shop.
Lidl has also invested €50 million into installing two reverse vending machines per store, to facilitate the easy return of containers, as part of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).
‘A Positive Impact’
Speaking about the GoCar partnership, the chief administration officer at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, Avril O’Hehir, said, “Providing the best customer shopping experience is our priority at Lidl, and our partnership with GoCar is just one of the many ways in which we continue to drive convenience for our valued shoppers.
“Through our expanded new fleet of 100 vehicles across 50 stores in Ireland, even more customers can benefit from the simplicity of our ‘shop and go’ offering, making the big weekly shop or a quick dash for essentials even easier.
“We are committed to building relationships with market leaders across industries that will have a positive impact on our valued customers, and within the communities that we serve.
“We’re looking forward to growing our partnership with GoCar even further in the future.”
The head of GoCar Ireland, Joe Quirke, added, “Our partnership with Lidl Ireland has been transformative for our business, unlocking access to new areas and enabling us to drive our reach across Ireland.
“With more flexibility, lower cost, and no long-term financial commitment, more people are making the switch to pay-as-you-go driving.
“Younger people are also switching on to the service, and we’re seeing significant uptake in highly populated areas with low car ownership.”
Quirke concluded, “We’re delighted to bring those benefits to even more Irish consumers by partnering with Ireland’s best-value supermarket retailer to offer convenience and an effective alternative transport solution.”
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