A Lidl bit of what you fancy…

Just imagine doing your weekly grocery shop and picking up a grab rail alongside your grapes, or packing a bath seat next to your tins of beans.

Ten years ago, such a thought would have been ludicrous, but supermarket chain Lidl is now offering customers the chance to purchase home aids as they peruse the shelves.

This move has enormous benefits for elderly shoppers, particularly those on low incomes. For starters, it is cheap; a Lidl grab rail costs £4.99 compared to B&Q’s that will set you back £9.98.
It is also far more convenient to buy these things in a supermarket than having to make an effort to go to a DIY store. And if you haven’t had a needs assessment but feel you require some help getting around the house, it provides a cost-effective solution.

Obviously, there may be differences in the quality of the products offered by specialist manufacturers and DIY stores compared to Lidl’s modest range of big-buttoned telephones and leg pillows – but it is a welcome addition to a largely-untapped market.

Hopefully the bigger supermarkets will follow Lidl’s lead and offer similar products in-store, instead of shunting them to the website, where they remain hard-to-find.