Lidl Serbia has resolutely integrated a policy of corporate social responsibility into the core of its business. The company is guided by a sustainability strategy that was espoused to guide socially responsible activity along three axes. With the axes “good for the planet”, “good for people” and “good for you”, Lidl Serbia looks at the impact of its business not only on the planet we live on, but also on the communities on whose lives Lidl’s work has an indirect or direct impact and ultimately on each of us, on you
For this reason, Lidl’s practice is to display corporate social responsibility on a daily basis, with the ultimate goal of organising actions together with its employees to reduce its negative and increase its positive impact on the world around us. Lidl Serbia carries out many projects that turn into a tradition, surprising us all again and again, year after year.
“Najbolje u Srbiji 2023”, (Best of Serbia) campaign, Lidl Serbia was recognised as a “Dobročinitelj” (benefactor), receiving an award for engagement in the CSR category for the previous three years. This distinction was awarded by the association Moja Srbija in cooperation with the Consumer Centre as a recognition of successfully completed CSR projects that result in positive change.
The first project that should be mentioned is “Čisto iz ljubavi”, part of the Schwarz Group’s international REset Plastic strategy, which arose from the need to devise a response to the impact that plastic packaging material has on our environment. This strategy covers five activities: from reducing the use of plastic, recycling it and removing it from nature, to encouraging environmental innovation and education in this field. “Čisto iz ljubavi” includes removing waste from nature and educating the youngest about the importance of a responsible attitude towards nature and the environment. Since the beginning of the project in 2020, more than 25 tons of waste have been collected in actions to remove waste from nature, and over 1,000 volunteers and almost 20 organisations have participated.
Lidl Serbia’s focus on environmental protection is also visible in the project “Dobro se reciklažom vraća”, which with its ecological and humanitarian character enables consumers to recycle PET and ALU packaging in three shops, two in Novi Sad and one in Niš. For each deposited piece of packaging, Lidl donates 5 dinars to the “Budi human” foundation, and in that way joins two useful activities and forms a kind of multifaceted CSR activity. In this way, the public are encouraged to be active participants in environmental initiatives, and to get involved in important underlying processes of saving energy and resources and at the same tme protecting the planet. The humanitarian aspect of this project contributes to the work of the “Budi human” foundation and its users.
When it comes to communityoriented activities, Lidl Serbia is implementing the following projects: “Mala dela su velika stvar”, “Hoćeš ta menjamo mesta? Pomeri se s mesta” and “Snažne. Hrabre. Važne.”
Under the Best in Serbia 2023 campaign, Lidl Serbia was recognized as a “Benefactor”, receiving an award for engagement in the CSR category for the previous 3 years. This distinction was awarded by the association Moja Srbija in cooperation with the Consumer Centre as a recognition of successfully completed CSR projects that result in positive change
“Mala dela su velika stvar” is a project that Lidl Serbia implements with its consumers every year before the New Year and Christmas holidays, to support the Serbia Red Cross in providing meals for our fellow citizens. While the project lasts, Lidl’s consumers have the opportunity in all Lidl stores to buy the recommended basic groceries and personal hygiene products that are needed by beneficiaries of the Serbia Red Cross. By simply placing them in the designated places behind the cash registers, they may be sure that they will end up in aid packages intended for the vulnerable. Every year, as part of the campaign and as a sign of gratitude for consumers’ contributions, Lidl Serbia additionally donates equipment needed by the National Kitchen Programme, which, since 2019 when this project began, has amounted to equipment worth 30,000 euros, while more than 50 tonnes of foodstuffs were donated.
A slightly different Lidl project that attracted a lot of public attention under the name “Hoćeš da menjamo mesta? Pomeri se s mesta”, had a great impact last year in educating drivers to park their cars conscientiously. With several awards, it also carries a recognition from the marketing agency ADAM Studio, Disrupt awards 2023, for the initiative which in an original way draws attention to the problems caused by the irregular parking of arrogant drivers in parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities. In cooperation with NOOIS (The National Organisation of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia) and with the aim of raising awareness about the issue, Lidl Serbia designed and set up additional boards with a clear message indicating the purpose of these places. Moreover, in the period between 10 and 30 October 2022, all vehicles illegally parked in places for disabled people at 28 Lidl stores were marked with flyers and hangers on their rearview mirrors, with the key message of the campaign. This was to show arrogant drivers that their behaviour threatens the rights of people with disabilities and that parking in these places does not take into account the needs of their fellow citizens. On top of this, four educational videos were made that address the topics of illegal parking, communication with disabled people and less visible disabilities, whose actors are people who know this from personal experience.
Another project that Lidl Serbia carried out last year is called “Snažne. Hrabre. Važne.” This was aimed at providing support to successful Serbian female entrepreneurs, through the short-term marketing of their products in the Lidl sales network. With this, Lidl Serbia contributed to the further empowerment and encouragement of female entrepreneurship in Serbia, and all consumers could try the selected products during a thematic week in 35 cities. The winners of the competition were able to increase the visibility of their product and gain experience in marketing the goods to retail. In 2022, 26 female entrepreneurs presented as many as 32 products to our fellow citizens throughout Serbia, which opened new opportunities for some of them, such as Marija Bojović, owner of the Zlatibor tradition that produces home-made brandy from wild pear. After cooperation with Lidl she recorded a greater demand and concluded new partnerships, so now she is preparing a new office space in Belgrade and expanding her sales network.