Overview

• The Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart dismissed the vzbv’s lawsuit against Lidl over its loyalty app as unfounded and allowed a revision to the Bundesgerichtshof.
• Consumer advocates argued users effectively pay with personal data and that Lidl must state a total price, but the court held pricing laws cover money rather than other consideration.
• The panel found it was not misleading for Lidl to describe the app as free under German and EU rules on price disclosures.
• Lidl says app data informs store network planning and personalized advertising, while independent analyses report modest average savings from such programs (Kaufland Card 2.29%, Rewe Bonus 0.82%, Penny 0.75%).
• Studies show these apps increase shopping frequency and spending, even as many customers voice privacy concerns and frustration with complex, hard‑to‑compare offers.