Delhaize Belgium has introduced digital receipts in a bid to offer a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative, in line with its Lion's Footprint programme.
The Lion's Footprint project aims to reduce the company's ecological footprint by cutting down plastic, food waste and CO2 emissions.
The retailer is offering customers the option to choose digital receipts across all Belgian stores, both at traditional cash registers and at the quickscan and self-service cash registers.
Shoppers can opt for a digital receipt via the MyDelhaize app or the Delhaize website.
Once they activate the digital receipts options, they will no longer receive a paper receipt while shopping, the retailer added.
Delhaize’s loyalty programme customers can request for digital receipts via the Superplus app. The receipts are sent to the email address linked with the account.
'A Very Good Initiative'
According to Eva De Bleeker, State Secretary for Budget and Consumer Protection, “this is a very good initiative by Delhaize.”
“With this digital ticket, the supermarket is responding to the wishes of the modern consumer, who is working more and more digitally, keeps less paperwork and is especially aware of the environmental impact of this. At the same time, it is still possible to obtain a paper ticket, so that less digital consumers do not have to adapt and are not left out,” De Bleeker added.
Customers who do not activate this option via the MyDelhaize app will continue to receive a paper receipt, Delhaize added.
Eco-Friendly Option
The initiative has the potential to save at least 162 tonnes of paper on an annual basis, if every customer opts for a digital receipt.
162 tonnes of paper is equivalent to around 3864 trees, or a CO2 emission of 148 tonnes.
Therefore, even if all customers do not switch to digital receipts, it can still help the retailer cut down on emissions and paper use.
Currently, the retailer caters to more than 5 million customers each week, handing out more than 5 million receipts.
Earlier this week, Spain's Caprabo introduced digital cash receipts for purchases in its supermarkets as part of its digitisation process.
