Customers at Lidl’s store in Splott are complaining about the lack of Welsh language in store.
Lidl translate announcements through their speakers but there are no Welsh signs or language options on the self-checkouts.
Under the Welsh Language Act 1993 public bodies have to provide Welsh signage but private companies don’t.
Nic James, who lives in Splott, was the first to take to Twitter to complain about Lidl’s Splott store, which was opened in December last year.
Not a single word of Welsh at new @LidlUK in Splott, Cardiff. Even self-service checkouts are English-only. @AldiUK can do it, why not Lidl? pic.twitter.com/WK4Ed682Ls
— Nic James (@nicfromwales) January 14, 2017
Cardiff City Council’s leader Phil Bale also says it’s a “poor show” from Lidl.
Poor show from @LidlUK in their new Cardiff store. Come on @lidl surely not too hard to use Welsh and English in your Welsh stores?!? https://t.co/BL8OpkO86N
— Phil Bale (@PhilBale) January 16, 2017
Shaun Edwards, who’s a Welsh learner and shops in Splott’s Lidl store, says it’s a “sheer disregard for the native language and what that means to Wales as a country”.
He says: “We do have to push for this to be enshrined in law because companies do not take this into consideration. I think it’s shocking that they can just so blatantly say ‘we don’t have to so we won’t’.
“It’s a bit like not having disabled provision or accessibility. Just because it’s not there in law doesn’t mean that you should not think about people who have these needs.”
Welsh learner @ShowShaun has complained about Lidl #Splott‘s lack of Welsh language signs. I asked him why… pic.twitter.com/Y1bTIYoNvH
— Sarah Gough (@sarahgoughy) January 20, 2017
A member of the management staff at Splott Lidl, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “We do the best we can. All our announcements are in English and Welsh, and the speakers at the checkouts are in English and Welsh.”
Lidl Head Office have been contacted for comment.
