To ask how Waitrose vouchers work?

[Isabellye]

I've only just downloaded the Waitrose app and noticed I can pick and choose two vouchers weekly?
So since I have the app I have been selecting the vouchers are trying to use them weekly (as it usually says use by 7 days)
Anyway, just wondering what would happen if I didn't use the vouchers? How does it work? Are they based off how much you spend in there?
So confused as I seem to be getting 2.50 and 2.00 ones and my friend Said she was only getting 50p off ones??
So if you don't use them weekly would it all add up? Sorry to ask but thought I'd ask here how it works before going as I now seem to be going alot more 😂

The vouchers are available from each Wednesday. They do not roll over, use or lose. They are loosely based on your past purchases. Initially mine were £1.50/£2, gradually reduced to 50p ish. I've complained to Waitrose about this as I feel it's a manipulation by them. There's always a 3rd voucher for a free newspaper. You select the vouchers you want to use, make sure the products are in your trolley, then on checkout (not instant checkout) you need to add the vouchers and close voucher wallet. It's a faff, but once was worth it, not sure it still is if it's only a £1. Not sure how it works if you actually go in the store.

If you go into the store go to a self checkout and use the vouchers on anything. So doesn’t matter if you’re not buying what the voucher is for, you still get the money off. A waitrose employee told me this top tip. This week I had £1 of soup and £1 of mango chutney. I bought bread and potato rostis and still got £2 off.
As previous poster said it’s use or lose that week.
At christmas one week I had £8 in vouchers for Christmas things…didn’t buy anything Christmassy but vouchers still worked.
dosclaimer…this may work on a manned checkout but I am too scared to try and the checkout person tell me off!!

I only just found out you don't actually have to buy the actual products on the voucher. But this last few weeks my vouchers have all been only 50p off which is annoying.

I also use the quick check (you scan the bar code on the card reader - a red light appears when you select coupon - do different to the paper coupons) and just select the two vouchers of highest value. I buy most of the things the vouchers are for at WR but it is way too much faff trying to match what I buy to the vouchers so this had been a game changer not having to think about it.

At the moment I think the vouchers are low value - I only had two 50p ones this week (as did DH and DS had a £1 and a 50p). Before Christmas we all had £4 (I think) ones one week for Christmas items. I used to regularly have £5 vouchers (sometimes two or the other one was £4) - hopefully these will be back again...getting a bit bored of 50p/£1!

My local Waitrose has not had all their own Essential brand goods available lately - eg Floor Cleaner, fabric conditioner.
Is this just a blip, or a trick to encourage customers to buy more expensive branded goods??

I used to get vouchers of £4 and £5 off certain products. Now it's a regular weekly email giving only 50p discounts.

It's as if once you are a regular shopper, they try less hard to keep you.

In my experience Waitrose offer the least to their most regular customers. Which is shitty of them. We used to live somewhere where they were by far the most convenient place to shop, and we got quite good at using their deals. But we got no vouchers under their old scheme at all, whereas friends who only occasionally shopped there regularly got offered generous voucher discounts. Once we moved, so did we again, as we weren’t there every week. The current scheme looks similar - the discount ramps up if you’re not using it.

I get why they do it that way, but it feels like the exact opposite of a loyalty scheme, which hacks me off as it’s their regular customers who make their profits for them.