Case Study
Lidl UK
Starlink Business – Fully Managed Connectivity
Lidl - Somerset
Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG is a German international discount retailer chain that operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, the company belongs to the Schwarz Group, which also operates the hypermarket chain Kaufland.
The first Lidl GB store opened its doors in 1994 and they now have more than 920 stores and 13 regional distribution centres across Britain, employing over 27,500 people.
Lidl UK
first uK store opened
1900
distribution centres
0
stores
0
employees
300
The Challenge
Clarus supports Lidl with 4G, satellite broadband, and distributed antenna systems for their stores and distribution centres across the UK. This connectivity is used for sites that cannot access fibre infrastructure, or to create redundancy with a backup internet solution.
For one of their sites, the area suffered from poor 4G coverage. For the opening of their new store, Lidl required a high-speed, low-latency connection to enable in-store WiFi for customer tills and payment systems. Clarus therefore designed and deployed a Starlink system to help ensure the smooth opening of the store.
The Solution
Clarus engineers conducted a detailed survey of the store to determine to best positioning and layout of the supporting infrastructure, to meet operational demands.
A Starlink Business High-Performance Antenna was mounted on the roof of the store with a clear line of sight of the sky. This was wired into the comms room and supporting infrastructure, to supply store-wide WiFi for employees and systems.
The Results
✓ Maximum possible speeds achieved on-site – up to 350Mbps download / 40Mbps upload
✓ Latency of just 20-40ms
✓ PoS systems connected for customer payments
✓ Communication with Head Office, partners, suppliers, and the community.
✓ Reliable connectivity for business-critical applications and hardware
✓ Future-proofed primary and backup internet solution
LEO in Retail
Modern retail relies on digital technology to deliver next-generation services. It helps enhance customer experience and drive competitive advantage. Digital technologies reach all retail areas, including payments, logistics, marketing, and employee communication. Many business-critical applications, such as merchant services, accounting tools, payroll, HR, and inventory management, are now located in the cloud.
Perhaps the most important digital tool for retailers is the point-of-sale (PoS) system that allows payments to be taken quickly. If a PoS system is down for any length of time, retailers risk losing thousands of pounds in revenue. Digital technology also helps support critical systems such as CCTV security, telephony, and Wi-Fi hotspot services for shoppers.
Clarus can help retailers enjoy reliable, always-on connectivity that enables next-generation experiences for customers everywhere by providing high-speed, low latency LEO satellite connectivity.
LEO satellite connectivity provides either primary connectivity or back-up to fixed broadband to keep retail stores online, no matter how remote their locations. Furthermore, LEO connectivity can be integrated into an SD-WAN infrastructure to provide additional flexibility and resilience.
