OT - Parking scam at Lidl

Seems amazing that 'any' commercial company trying to sell to the retail market would not ensure there is adequate and/or 'more than sufficient' parking'? Reminds one that many years ago a well known down-town company put 'free parking' on their roof because customers were objecting to then recently introduced parking meters. Suppose the customer decides to buy at Lidl's then go next door (or within the store) for a cuppa/coffee and then next door again to look at some shoes?

Any super market here with inadequate parking would lose business to one of their competitors; in fact there is one where parking is more congested so we don't go there! Except to occasionally compare prices or if it's early morning and the lot is relatively empty. The problem seems to be that there are several resident businesses in the same buildings whose employees are there all day, including a 24 hour call- centre!

I have no connection with Wal mart except as an occasional customer ................. but go to our local WM, for example; their parking lot is huge. Probably some 30 to 50 times the size of the store itself?

The only problem have had with WM was; one Saturday night needing an auto battery I called up their 'Store opening Hours' number (a free local call) which said "Open till 9.30 PM," or summat. Arriving there found auto dept. unstaffed. (Something to do with auto-mechanics union hours!). So grabbed a battery off the rack, having confirmed the type number for vehicle, and checked it out. Small overnight top-up charge and then installed it in the driveway the following morning. Had more trouble with hooking the hold down bolts more than anything else. And the vehicle started right up .......... checked the charging voltage at a bit over 14 volts, about 2.3 to 2.4 volts per cell, and it's worked fine ever since.

I must take back the old battery and get my $10 incentive/rebate sometime. Total cost around $100 Canadian or roughly 70 quid? Since the last battery lasted through eight winters and summers do not foresee too many problems. Also has up to three roadside assists included in price, for several years anywhere in North America and Mexico!

But back to parking. Not only do WM always have more than sufficient space, they encourage (apparently the founder was an RV enthusiast) passing RVers (Recreational vehicles/caravans etc.) to park over night. It is the custom for RVs to park well away from the entrances and are also welcome to use the facilities inside the store (this mainly during the summer/tourism season of course).

Since Wal Mart carries various food items, has auto supplies and camping gear depts. and often have 'fast-food' franchises within their store, the mutual arrangement makes sense.

The only places here that even deign to impose a parking fee or any restrictions etc. are those not engaged in commerce ....... the main hospital Health Centre, on the pretext that the university next door would monopolize the parking, some down-town city buildings who have underground parking, always insufficient for the number of employees in the building of course!

BTW one notices that in some Gulf countries they do not charge for the underground parking, to do so might discourage people from shopping in the buildings above and the retail commercial enterprises from making a profit! And their gasoline costs somewhere around 20 cents (about 15 pence?) per litre.

Lidl's approach seems almost backwards and counter productive? Surely a few acres of parking even at today's inflated land prices and pro- customer parking approach would be a profitable investment?

Another example maybe; there is a gas (petrol) station here who although they charge the 'fill it yourself prices' have a crew of young men who fill your vehicle; the moment you stop they are there to serve. And boy, they do a lot of business, constantly busy!

002 cents from here.
Reply to
terry
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I've seen (in Oak Ridge) abandoned malls which presumably didn't flourish, then down the road they built another. And another. Everything abandoned including the parking.

US pop density: 83/sq mi UK pop density: 663/sq mi

and you're surprised that WalMart can afford a few acres of parking and Lidl can't?

Reply to
Tim Streater
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It isn't really a question of Lidl (or other places charging for parking) being mean and profiteering. Space is very limited in most towns here and the idea of Lidl offering a *few acres* of car parking is really very unlikely. My local Lidl has a car park about 50 x 50 yards (roughly half an acre) so they need to ensure that their trade isn't adversely affected by abuse of the available parking space.

One town near me had a serious parking problem which was largely cured by changing the municipal car parks from 'free' to 'pay and display'. The effect of this was to concentrate the minds of those people who occupied parking spaces for long periods without consideration for other users. Since the change I have never failed to find a parking space whereas before I frequently had to abandon my business and go elsewhere.

Cic.

Reply to
Cicero

It gets worse. Around here you can only put in the exact money. The meter will not accept too much unless it is the exact charge for a longer time period. Not very helpful when the none of the charges are exact multiples of £1.

Reply to
Mark

Because of course a smackhead would never break a £200 window in order to grab two pounds in change from a vehicle.

Apparently too complicated for someone of yours.

Reply to
Steve Firth

Jings, I hadn't seen that variant. That really does suck.

Reply to
Steve Firth

Some of the ones round here take anything you can put in, and give you time in proportion (there is a minimum charge).

Reply to
Bob Eager

Don't be silly, of course they would, but why would they target your car over any other, unless you foolishly leave valuables on display?

What's difficult about keeping some loose change in the glove compartment, or other out of sight location?

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

When do you become a customer? By your logic everyone is using a parking space when not a customer when they first arrive.

What if a cripple takes 10mins to walk from the car to the shop, should he be penalised for parking whilst not a customer?

What if an able-bodied person takes 10mins to buy stamps from the PO over the road for posting the gift they are going to buy in Lidl, should they be penalised?

Where do you draw the line, and why?

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

Lidl draws the line anywhere it thinks fit. Plenty of other supermarkets for those who don't like the terms and conditions. I was in my local one yesterday and one of the conditions I accept is that there is no time to pack things at the checkout. They hurtle along the conveyor and would fall off the end if you didn't just chuck them back in the trolley. However, they have an area after that where you can pack things at your leisure, which is a system I have come to prefer. If I need unlimited time at the checkout, or a skivvy to pack for me, I'll have to go to Waitrose.

Reply to
stuart noble

There is when I shop there. I have been told off and had some scowls for not just putting it in the trolley (same in Aldi) but my time is precious to me. The day they ban me for not following the "rules" is the day they lose a customer.

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Man at B&Q" saying something like:

Easy solution is use a pair of nested banana boxes which sit in the bottom of the trolley as you go round. At the checkout, the boxes get re-filled and are easy to lift into the car boot. A full month's worth of shopping is in excess of the boxes, but I normally only have to fill half a dozen bags instead of ten or more.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

Not playing the game though is it? You know how Lidl keeps prices low, but it depends on people not behaving like they're Waitrose. Best of both worlds for you, but not so good for those behind you.

Reply to
stuart noble

The UK version, generally yes. Across the road from my old church in Twickenham they introduced P&D, chargeable to 6.30, 7 days a week. If you turn up at 6.25 for the 6.30 evening service you either pay 40p for an hour or take a chance that the snatch squad won't breeze in at 6.28 (a favourite LB Richmond tactic). ... Or just come in late.

Here where I've used P&D you get what you pay for, so if it's $3 per hour and you put in 50c you get 12 minutes. Put in 2 x $2 and you get 1hr 20 - a UK machine would pocket the extra $1. I've no doubt that UK machines could be made to work that way but it would lose councils money, enough said. Any other retailer who refused to give change would no doubt be taken to task by same councils' trading standards.

Reply to
Tony Bryer

I have a feeling that demeaning the customers and trying to make them jump up and down is what this and the parking issue is all about.

Derek

Reply to
Derek Geldard

Can't you ask the vicar (or whatever he's called) to reschedule the service to 6:35?

Andy

Reply to
Andy Champ

Yes, third rate fruit and veg, miniscule portions in their frozen ready meals, packed in rubbish without the benefit of being re-cycled.

Oh, I forgot, checkout service abysmal.

I once went through the till at Aldi with a punnet of strawberies. The inarticulate ape they employ as a check out operator propelled them off the end of the belt without looking so they fell about three feet to the bottom of the trolley, the thin plastic packaging split apart and the strawberries scattered all round. Their quality was not improved.

Own brands and fresh produce shit. Some, only some, cheapish. Store full of Students, OAP's, druggies, dole bludgers, eastern block immigrants, bettatooed single parent mums with buggies on steroids and kids power-screaching.

These, along with dewdrops on noses and blisters on kittens are a few of my least favourite things.

Not exactly the "best of my world". I suppose I must be snobbish YMMV.

A general property of queueing. No different to queueing in the post office or at a railway ticket counter for example. The solution in each instance is the same, more and better quality checkout facilities and actually have more than one open at a time and not to try to put the blame on the customers.

HTH

Derek

Reply to
Derek Geldard

[of Lidl]

I'd suppose that too. But you could try using a different Lidl from the one in your obviously Pikey area.

Perhaps you've not realised checkout staff have to be paid? Which in the end goes on your bill? Stick to Waitrose. I find the Harrods food hall not bad for service too.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Oh, I much prefer Fortnums.

Reply to
stuart noble

No, you're kidding

Reply to
stuart noble

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