Waitrose shoppers are fuming as the supermarket giant has revealed it is withdrawing one of its popular loyalty offers for regular customers.
An email was sent to myWaitrose loyalty card holders on Wednesday night revealing the details of changes to the current in-store offer where shoppers can get a free national newspaper when you spend more than £10 in store.
But from February 22, that freebie is to be scrapped - in favour of new loyalty offers at the supermarket which will include discounts on Waitrose cookery classes and "personalised offers".
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It has left loyalty card holders less than impressed - many of whom are still fuming about the free daily coffee offer disappearing through the pandemic.
The supermarket, part of the John Lewis group, has a number of stores across the north west, including in Altrincham, Sandbach, Alderley Edge, Poynton and Cheadle Hulme.
The email sent out to cardholders from Waitrose said: "Nobody shops quite like you - so we're updating myWaitrose to make it even more personal, with savings tailored to the way you shop and the things you love.
"As part of these changes, the myWaitrose newspaper offer will be ending on 22 February 2022.
"But we're replacing it with something even better - personalised offers, chosen just for you."
New offers detailed include "members-only prices across a wide range of products", "Discounts on Waitrose Cookery School classes" and "Our award-winning magazines for free - Waitrose Food, Waitrose Drinks and Waitrose Health".
Loyalty card holders will also continue to benefit on savings on Johnsons the Cleaners dry cleaning and laundry at Waitrose.
But it has left hundreds of shoppers angry - with some saying they're even planning to boycott the store over the loss of the free newspaper offer.
One even labelled the decision "disastrous" without properly engaging with customers first about the plans for loyalty card changes.
Although Waitrose has now said in defence of the move that only 5% of loyalty card customers actually took up the offer of a free paper.
Commenting on Twitter, Jan Stacey said: "The free coffee has gone and now the free newspaper.. I can however have a discount on a #Waitrose cookery class!
"Don’t think I’ll bother. Bye bye."
Ioannis Koustoudis said: "Terrible decision @waitrose to scrap free newspaper for loyal customers. That was the main reason to visit your stores 2-3 times per week. Shame on you! #waitrose "
Twitter user @FoxyCakes_bakes said: "Sad times @waitrose …. First free coffee is stopped ….. then a £3 charge for home deliveries, regardless of spend total ….. now no more free newspapers. What is the point any more?"
Tamara Cincik tweeted: "This is a disastrous decision by @waitrose - I am happy to pay your often inflated prices so we can have a newspaper. A huge mistake and where was the customer engagement to make this decision. #waitrosenewspaper "
@Brucefbg said: " #waitrose ending their free newspaper offer? This is the end of civilisation as we know it!"
Martin Vessey fumed on Twitter: "Goodbye to Waitrose shopping when newspaper offer end on 22nd Feb. #waitrose #understandingcustomers ".
Waitrose says the changes are actually in response to a LACK of take-up of the free newspaper offer, and says it believes the new loyalty card approach will be of more benefit to its loyal customers.
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “We’re improving the myWaitrose programme to offer customers personalised discounts on the products they buy most.
“While the newspaper offer was enjoyed by some of our customers, in reality it was only being used by around 5% of members.
"The new approach will mean that all members can make greater savings by receiving benefits tailored to them.”
Further details of the new loyalty benefits will be communicated to cardholders "soon".
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