Retailer Accused of Discriminating Against Elderly with App-Only Discounts

The retail chain "Žalia stotelė" faces accusations of digital discrimination against its elderly customers, following a complaint from an 82-year-old woman. The core of the issue lies in the store's discount system, which is exclusively accessible via a mobile application, effectively excluding individuals who are not digitally proficient.

The Equal Opportunities Ombudsman's office investigated the complaint and concluded that the practice violates the law. The complainant stated that without the "Žalia stotelė" app, she could not access the offered discounts, forcing her to wait at the checkout and request assistance from other shoppers. She explained that while she owns a smartphone, she uses it solely for communication and avoids apps due to a lack of digital skills, vision impairment, and concerns about personal data security.

"Žalia stotelė" representatives initially argued that the loyalty app was not the sole method for obtaining discounts, citing the option to print a special code. However, they admitted this code could only be obtained via email. Another alternative mentioned was using a shared loyalty card held by cashiers. Birutė Sabatauskaitė, the ombudswoman, deemed this insufficient, noting that users of the shared card might not receive the same discounts as app users and would have to repeatedly ask for the card, with no guarantee they would be informed of its availability.

Sabatauskaitė stated, "The collected data shows that people, for objective reasons such as age-related health problems, do not use smartphones or discount apps, and are therefore in a worse position. In other words, the chain has not ensured equal conditions for consumers to receive the same goods and services, regardless of age, thus violating the Law on Equal Opportunities."

In response to the ombudsman's decision, "Žalia stotelė" has announced it is evaluating possibilities for implementing alternative loyalty card issuance methods. Previous studies indicated that about 40% of individuals over 55 struggle with app-based discounts, and one-fifth do not use such applications at all.

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The collected data shows that people, for objective reasons such as age-related health problems, do not use smartphones or discount apps, and are therefore in a worse position. In other words, the chain has not ensured equal conditions for consumers to receive the same goods and services, regardless of age, thus violating the Law on Equal Opportunities.