Lidl Unveils New Digital Wine Bot 'Margot'

Lidl, the UK’s seventh largest retailer, has today launched its first fully-automated, AI-powered, Facebook Messenger chatbot to help UK customers select the best wine whatever the meal or moment. Users simply type in a wine question and voilà, the answer appears!

Lidl’s new chatbot – named Margot – will perform the role of shoppers' virtual wine consultant at the tap of a screen. Whether or not you know your Merlot from your Malbec, this question-and-answer chatbot from Lidl will help customers make more confident wine choices and have some fun along the way.

Margot sits within the Facebook Messenger app which has over one billion active users worldwide. The chatbot has a light-hearted and informal persona; a true wine enthusiast but definitely not snooty, loves food and good company. Margot will provide a conversational experience for customers, answering questions such as “which red wines from Chile under £6 do you sell?”, “what goes well with grilled salmon?”, or “what makes a wine sweet?”. Margot has additional features including an interactive wine quiz to encourage further brand engagement and to interact with customers in a fun, intuitive, and light-hearted manner.

Alex Murray, Digital Director at Lidl UK, commented: “At Lidl we have built a reputation for providing fantastic quality wines at highly competitive prices for our customers. Margot will ensure choosing the right wine is never a daunting process, and we hope this service – along with the existing in-store and online information we already provide – encourages customers to discover the perfect wine from our curated range.”

Lidl UK’s wine range is going from strength to strength, winning multiple awards including Supermarket of the Year at the 2017 Drinks Retailing Award.