To think Waitrose loyalty card is losing all its benefit?

[Precipice]

The free coffee disappeared at the beginning of the pandemic (it's "suspended"), in two weeks the newspaper offer is going. There were to my mind the only tangible benefits of having this loyalty card.

They claim there will be "personalised offers". Of course this is vague, but all it sounds like is that the Waitrose card will become like the loyalty cards of many shops where they get the benefit of tracking your purchases and in return for the loss of your privacy, you get nothing or almost nothing in practice, like the current occasional vouchers of "get x off if you spend ". (You can tell perhaps that I am not a loyalty card "fanatic", but I am willing to use some in some circumstances.)

That free hot drink was A m a z in g
Came in useful so many times as a pick you up/treat, particularly when driving the country feeling totally lost in life ,that warm drink kept me warm, end of.

It would also entice me to buy something else in the store so it is strange they haven't brought it back now the Pandemic is manageable and people are more aware of germs on machines etc.

But after all, Waitrose are a business and it's not up to them to give people free hot drinks and newspapers, when it doesn't meet their aim of converting into profitable extra sales.

You can get a nice hot drink, or a newspaper from just about anywhere, including Waitrose. You just have to pay the going rate for it.

I got a nice bacon sandwich and latte from Greggs the other day for £2.40, can't really argue with that.

I’m not impressed. Their personalised offers are shit, I’ve never had any that I’d actually use. Even worse than the Sparks card. Apparently only 5% of customers were using the newspaper offer - in which case it’s obviously not costing them that much so why not keep it and keep loyal customers happy?

I spent loads more in Waitrose when they had the coffee offer, I’d go there on the way home for my milk, fruit etc top up shops and pick up a coffee at the same time. Once the coffee stopped that was pointless and I started going to a cheaper location supermarket for bits and bobs on the way home or at lunchtime.

I occasionally get invited to spend forty quid in order to get four quid off. Easy enough when topping up the wine rack but otherwise useless. The Morrison's card is a shadow of its former self too. Instead of £5 vouchers I can now buy discounted bunches of flowers. I've never bought flowers anywhere, including Morrison's, so goodness knows why their people thought that might be useful to me. Thankfully Nectar is still with us at Sainsbury's.

As an FYI you can get £1 ish back from an online shop going through quidco.

Doesn't compensate for their delivery fees though.

My Waitrose account says that there's something replacing the free newspaper that's 'better'

I'm in the trial group that is already getting these 'offers' and they are not 'better' unless you think that being shown six offers that will each save you 50p, but telling you you can only choose two of them, is 'better'.

Seriously, Waitrose, you couldn't come across more tight if you tried. I could barely believe it when I logged on to my 'exciting offers'. I get to save £1 and have to go through the rigmarole of logging on and faffing with the app, to get that £1

If I go into Tescos, there are a million Clubcard offers and all I have to do is scan my card for the money to be taken off automatically. On a barely conscious level, since seeing these offers, I've not been to Waitrose. It's as though the character of the place has changed for me having seen the meanness of the deals.

I get to save £1 and have to go through the rigmarole of logging on and faffing with the app, to get that £1

So these new offers are only for users with the app? Like in Lidl? I don't download any shop apps, so this sounds even less beneficial than I thought.

Sounds like the LIDL app is far better value.

@WildRosie

I occasionally get invited to spend forty quid in order to get four quid off. Easy enough when topping up the wine rack but otherwise useless. The Morrison's card is a shadow of its former self too. Instead of £5 vouchers I can now buy discounted bunches of flowers. I've never bought flowers anywhere, including Morrison's, so goodness knows why their people thought that might be useful to me. Thankfully Nectar is still with us at Sainsbury's.

Yes the "Match & More" scheme was replaced with just "More".

The old scheme was great because it effectively gave you a few quid off each week because they refunded the difference between their price and lower prices elsewhere. When they got rid of that part of the scheme I stopped using my card, it was effectively an admission they were more expensive than other supermarkets.

They have added a charge for delivery for online shopping now. Free delivery and newspaper was how how I justified the higher prices. Thinking about switching to Sainsbros

I did so as they had delivery slots at the start of the pandemic when the Waitrose ones vanished. Actually it wasn't even the start - it was when DH was back at work again so a good nine months in maybe? I'm mostly housebound when he's away so I rely on getting a delivery.

Anyway Sainbury's has been great. The midweek delivery pass I use is cheap and there's always loads of slots, food tends to have good use-by dates and they have most of what I select in stock, and substitutions are sensible. They also now stock the organic cocoa I love and Bertinet sourdough which were my two Waitrose draws.

I'll still go to Waitrose in person occasionally with DH as it's a nicer shopping experience but they've lost most of my spend. And as I said earlier I've not had a single money-off voucher for years now for some reason even though he always does scan and shop.

Never had one, never been offered one, no idea how you get one.

I do like my nectar card tho.

@DahliaMacNamara

I got a terrific offer on Sunday 6th. £4 off a £40 shop, valid until...Monday 7th. Cheers.

This is my beef with them too! The offers are OK but the time limits are stupid.

@Supersee

Waitrose is my local supermarket and I hate it. I just grab a few things when I'm short of time. I don't get the love for it, I don't find the produce that great, it's expensive, and no matter what is on my (short) list at least one will be out of stock.

The only thing I like is a wine they sell which I can't get anywhere else.

What wine? Anything good?

I've just received this week's offers. Mostly for the same products as last week, and again, six ways to save 50p (£1 for a particular bottle of wine) of which I can only choose two. Also you can't even use the app, never mind just swipe your card:

"For in store redemption you will currently only be able to redeem your vouchers through your phones browser. We are working to enable app access in the future."

So I have to get my phone out, find the email, click on the link, and find the QR codes for each of my two choices. And save £1.

This is embarrassingly bad. Whoever is responsible for this is basically trashing the brand. Showing you six discounts and only allowing you to choose two, makes it look as though they really resent offering deals at all.

I know it's far from the end of the world, but I'm just not fussed about going there any more. Tesco's is nearer to me and rammed with Clubcard discounts that I don't have to choose between, or faff with my phone to get.

They're all getting tighter with rewards nowadays.

@megaz the one they offer me (one I've bought before) isn't one they'll offer you. The discounts are based on what each customer has shopped for in the past.

But since you asked, Les Nivières Saumur!

According to Waitrose Twitter only 5% of My Waitrose card holders bothered with the free paper anyway.

The new offers are a bit of a faff, I didn't want to choose mine until I knew they were actually in store so I had to fanny about on my phone sorting out where they were and then do the same at the till to scan them. I would prefer them on the card already.

As an aside I did get a free coffee and cake voucher for JL last month 😀

Tesco's is nearer to me and rammed with Clubcard discounts that I don't have to choose between, or faff with my phone to get.

It’s so much simpler in Tesco - you see the yellow offer card and just scan your card when you pay. Who wants to mess around with vouchers?

I loved the free paper especially on the weekend! Truly gutted they are taking it away, and the free coffee was a nice perk too while it lasted. Really disappointed in them for doing this.

@FunnyGoingsOn

I had a free coffee and cake in John Lewis yesterday so I probably shouldn't complain but it's a crap loyalty card. The offers are really annoying.

The Sparks card is awful too. I just about get enough use out of it but it's a pain to use.

Clubcard and Boots are the best by far.

^^ this. Boots more expensive for everyday stuff like shampoo and conditioner (way cheaper in asda) but if you use boots for make up etc., the boots points add up. I went in recently and had £32 worth of points and I don’t shop there that often ( got a tinted mosturiser and mascara for”free”). Tesco have up their game with their Clubcard prices in store which basically price match to asda. Plus you get your points in an easy to understand and use voucher.

M&S - I love M&S but the sparks card sucks. It was bad before but is even worse now. How many times do I really need 5% of champagne and chocolates??!! Plus they now have another ‘layer’ of quality. Used to be normal M&S plus per Una. Now they seem to be competing with primark for the t-shirt that can’t survive the first wash. I don’t want a 3 quid t shirt in marks which is next weeks duster. I want a half decent 10 quid one that will do me 6 months.

I’ve been banging on for ages that marks are trying to be all things to all people and basically haemorrhaging their core market. I can see signs of the food going the same way 😔

I'm not sure it's ever been the norm to go to a shop and expect to be given stuff for free has it?
I thought the coffee was ok but I'd only have one if I fancied one at the end of my shop, (as that's when you were supposed to get it, after making a purchase) and there wasn't a huge queue at the machine not just because it was free.

You don't get free coffee and newspaper with any other supermarket so I'm not sure why people are whining.

@TatianaBis

You don't get free coffee and newspaper with any other supermarket so I'm not sure why people are whining.

I think they are saying that they shopped at Waitrose because of the freebies, but now no freebies they'll have to go somewhere that never did any freebies.