In July 2018 the discount chain Lidl stopped eLWIS, its project to run its merchandise management on SAP software, after seven years. According to the trade paper Lebensmittel Zeitung, citing industry observers, the project is said to have cost 500 million euros. Lidl did not comment on the costs.
Lidl put the decision in one sentence. It was keine Entscheidung gegen SAP, sondern für ein eigenes System, not a decision against SAP, but for a system of its own. Lidl went on developing its existing in-house system.
English-language reports, citing the business daily Handelsblatt, give one reason. Lidl kept its stock records on purchase prices, while SAP’s standard retail software works with sales prices, and Lidl did not change its method. The Handelsblatt article itself could not be checked.