In Poland, the supermarket chain Lidl is testing a new automated parking monitoring system at a dozen of its stores. The system uses smart cameras at the entrance and exit to track vehicles by automatically reading their license plates. This technology allows the system to calculate how long each vehicle stays in the parking lot in real time. Customers who park, shop, and leave within a 90-minute free period are not charged any fee. However, those who stay longer than one hour and thirty minutes may be fined up to 35 euros. The system is designed to prevent abuse of the free parking offer. For example, if a driver tries to bypass the system by leaving the parking lot and returning within 15 minutes, the system's algorithm does not reset the time counter. Instead, the time spent during the previous session is added to the new one, ensuring that such attempts to exploit the system are ineffective. This measure aims to increase parking turnover, making it easier for other customers to find parking spaces during busy times. Lidl is not the first to implement such a system in Poland. Its competitor, Biedronka, already uses similar rules to manage parking and encourage more efficient use of space. These measures reflect a growing trend among retail chains to use technology to optimize customer flow and reduce congestion in parking areas. By using automated systems, supermarkets can ensure that free parking is available for customers who need it most, while discouraging those who might otherwise take up space for extended periods. The technology also helps stores manage their resources more effectively, particularly during peak shopping hours.