Waitrose has heard the calls from their loyal customers and is set to bring back free hot drinks for shoppers – even if they do not buy anything in store.
The upmarket supermarket has told members of its loyalty scheme that from 27 January, they can get one complimentary drink per day if they use a reusable cup.
The perk – which entitles customers to a free americano, cappuccino, latte, or tea – was first introduced in 2013.
Four years later, the terms changed to only allow customers who had shopped in store to bag a free drink. The scheme was completely scrapped during the pandemic but was slowly being reintroduced by Dame Sharon White, the former chair of the John Lewis Partnership.
A spokesperson for Waitrose said: “Some of our members like to have their free coffee before or during their shop, rather than afterwards, so we are just offering a bit of flexibility in response to customer feedback.”
“In practice, lots of customers do this already, so this is just a formality as part of updated T&Cs.”
To claim from a free drink from a store’s self-service machine, you must bring your own cup and be a MyWaitrose member – which you can sign up for free for online.
An email sent to members of its loyalty scheme read: “You’ll be able to get your free hot drink without buying anything in store first. Don’t forget your reusable cup!”
The move comes after it was revealed in November that high-street rival M&S had overtaken Waitrose in market share for the first time outside the Christmas period.
Jason Tarry, a former Tesco chief executive, took charge as new Waitrose chairman last autumn and is perhaps trying to regain ground with middle-class shoppers.
When the free drink perk was first introduced, the perk drew the attention of politicians including from the then Labour shadow communities minister, Andy Sawford, who asked MPs to write to the firm in 2014.
He believed the scheme would take away from small firms and “further destroy the British high street”.
Waitrose also offers free hot drinks to members of the police in what the company said was s part of an initiative to cut down on shoplifting”.
When it was introduced in August 2023, West Mercia Police Federation secretary Pete Nightingale said: “It makes sense from a business perspective because any police presence is bound to have an impact – either as a reassurance for shoppers or a deterrent for shoplifters.”
