Last week, Waitrose announced that its 9 million loyalty scheme members would once again be entitled to a free coffee or tea a day, without needing to buy anything from the store – a perk controversially scrapped during the pandemic.
“We’re sorry the machine isn’t working now.” This was the crushing notice greeting shoppers looking for a free hit last week in Waitrose’s Finchley Road store in north London.
Waitrose also reversed a decision to reduce the number of sheets in its Essential Waitrose bathroom tissue after an online revolt from customers upset that their lavatory rolls were delivering less wipe for their money.
Waitrose v M&S: free coffee, longer toilet paper and the battle to win over the middle class shopper Fancy food halls and freebies are tactics in the store wars.
But the freebie americano or latte, at a time when Sainsbury’s is dispensing with its cafes, is a critical part of Waitrose’s new campaign to lure back shoppers who have decamped to supermarket rivals, in particular Marks & Spencer.
