Lidl is searching for a Scottish voice for its self-checkouts north of the border, and is inviting customers to audition.
The discounter has set up an ‘audition line’ for Scots customers to submit recordings of themselves reciting relevant phrases such ‘unexpected item in bagging area’ and ‘have you remembered to scan everything today?’ The audition line is open until 7pm on 26 May.
Lidl is also investing almost £3m in installing self-checkouts in all Scottish stores by November 2025 and “millions more” in rolling them out across England and Wales by the end of 2026. They are already in many Lidl stores in England following a rollout last year.
Customers who would like to be the voice of the machines in Scotland are asked to text the word ‘audition’ via WhatsApp to +447 4183 97936. They will then be guided through the “simple, fun audition process”, according to Lidl.
The winner, to be chosen by a panel of judges, will get £500 in Lidl vouchers, as well as the pleasure of hearing their own voice whenever they use a self-checkout in one of the retailer’s Scottish supermarkets.
The discounter is promoting the competition with a phone box-style ‘audition booth’ popping up from this week in stores in Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. Shoppers are invited to “step inside” for a chance to “bag the title of Lidl’s unexpected Scottish voice in the bagging area”.
Lidl said a recent YouGov survey showed 81% of Scots preferred having a choice between staffed tills and self-checkouts, while 74% said they chose self-checkouts for speed and convenience.
“We’re committed to continually enhancing the customer experience throughout our stores and are constantly looking for ways to make the shopping experience even better,” said Lidl GB chief customer officer Jassine Ouali.
“With around two-thirds of our customers choosing self-checkouts where already available, this investment further reinforces the steps we’re taking to respond to demand from our customers.
“But this isn’t about replacing one experience with another – it’s about offering greater flexibility and choice. By expanding self-service alongside ongoing improvements to our staffed tills, we’re ensuring customers can shop in the way that suits them best.”
Marco Ivone, Lidl GB regional director for Scotland, said: “Our search for ‘the voice of Lidl’s self-checkouts’ in Scotland is a fun way to celebrate the rollout. As the regional director for Scotland, I am proud that a member of our Lidl community in Scotland will become the voice of our checkouts and add a Scottish charm to our customers’ daily shops.”
Tesco held a competition on TikTok to find the voice of its self-checkouts in 2022. Many replies to the supermarket’s TikTok post asked for regional accents to be used in their local machines.
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