BELGIUM: Lidl moves closer to Belgian web shop | Progresiv
German discounter Lidl has big eCommerce plans for the Low Countries and it has taken steps over the past few days towards that end. It has not revealed any definite starting date though. 
In Belgium, Lidl has just joined BeCommerce, the association for companies that actively use online sales channels. The move is remarkable, as Lidl Belgium currently has no online sales channel. When asked, spokesperson Pieterjan Rynwalt did confirm that Lidl "has entered the next phase, in which we will thoroughly examine how we can organize [a web shop] and which products would fit such a strategy."
According to the spokesperson for the German chain, the BeCommerce move should be considered to be an informative one: "As a member, we want to benefit from the knowledge inside the organization and to learn from the experiences of others."
In the Netherlands, Lidl is looking for a "senior manager online", a position at its main office in Huizen. According to Twinkle, this person will "play an important role in the setup and expansion of Lidl Netherlands' eCommerce plans". The German discounter already has a (small) online presence in the Netherlands: it sells wine, photographs and trips online, through specific websites like Lidl-reizen.nl.
German Lidl customers on the other hand have a huge range of products they can order from the website and Lidl's German web shop even has a range of items that can only be purchased online. Bikes, books, fridges and even swimming pools are available online at Lidl Germany. (www.retaildetail.eu)
