Lidl has launched a new Facebook Messenger chatbot that seeks to help customers select the best wine to purchase.
Dubbed “Margot”, the artificially intelligent chatbot is said to “perform the role of shopper’s virtual wine consultant”.
Customers can open a chat window and Margot will present them with three options: food pairing, find a wine or take a quiz.
While the quiz offers some playful wine-based trivia, the other two options seek to educate the user on which wine would be the best fit.
Food pairings can be selected using food emojis, or by simply entering the meal your planning.
Customers can also find a wine through selecting a country, region, grape, colour, and/or price.
Loving Lidl's new Facebook chatbot sommelier called Margot. Asked her what would pair nicely with the paella I intend to cook at the weekend and got several (cheap) recommendations!
— Caroline Baldwin (@cl_baldwin) January 31, 2018
Excited to be launching 'Margot' today – the #chatbot we've been developing with Lidl. Check it out! https://t.co/jM90ZtUmBu #AI #ukretail
— Dan Brazil (@brazilianx) January 31, 2018
Margot also answers questions like “cheapest wine” or “do you have any wines from the USA?”.
“We have built a reputation for providing fantastic quality wines at highly competitive prices for our customers,” Lidl’s digital director Alex Murray said.
“Margot will ensure choosing the right wine is never a daunting process, and we hope this service – along with the existing in-store and online information we already provide – encourages customers to discover the perfect wine from our curated range.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter
