MSE News: Waitrose to scrap free hot drinks offer in its cafes

Girl_Overboard

maman wrote: »

I'm confident that I could save hugely more than the price of a cup of coffee by not shopping in Waitrose. Then with the money saved I could go to a coffee shop of my choice.

You don't have to buy anything to claim your free drink though. You can just go up to customer services or a checkout and ask for one. I get a free cup of tea every day and it's cheaper than making it at home, let alone going to a coffee shop! I mean obviously they're hoping people will come in for their free drinks and then end up spending money, but you don't have to spend a thing.

Ames

Actually I find Waitrose cheaper than the big supermarkets for a full shop. They do meat and fish at three for a tenner, basics like milk and bread are the same price, and their offers are great. Plus you don't get huge baskets at the end of each aisle tempting you to spend on crap.

Obviously if you go for their top of the range fancy stuff it's more expensive, but for normal food it isn't. Especially if you time it right for the reductions.

antrobus

Ames wrote: »

Actually I find Waitrose cheaper than the big supermarkets for a full shop. They do meat and fish at three for a tenner, basics like milk and bread are the same price, and their offers are great. ....

A lot of supermarkets do meat and fish at three for a tenner, milk and bread can be found cheaper elsewhere, and every supermarket in the country has "offers that are great".

Shopping basket comparisons consistently show Waitrose as being more expensive than other supermarkets. Although occasionally it is beaten by Sainsbury's, which is surprisingly pricey.

Girl_Overboard wrote: »

You don't have to buy anything to claim your free drink though. ...

Exactly. You don't actually need to give Waitrose any money. Of course since you're there, and there's always one or two decent offers, you might as well pick them up. And qualify for a free paper as well.

And it's no trouble. I'd have to pass Waitrose to get to Lidl anyway.

Neil49

I'm pleased to hear they are doing away with this loss leader offer. The Waitrose in my small town has severely impacted the trade of the local caf!s who can't afford to hand out free drinks to attract customers in this way.

catwoman73

I get a free cup of tea every day and it's cheaper than making it at home, let alone going to a coffee shop!

Surely that would only apply if you lived very near or passed by Waitrose every day?

Otherwise seems a bit pointless to go to the bother of going to Waitrose just for a cup of tea and just because it's free?

Pincher

catwoman73 wrote: »

Surely that would only apply if you lived very near or passed by Waitrose every day?

It's a combo incentive where I am.

Monday to Friday, you can get free Evening Standard (London newspaper). It's a good paper, sadly forced to give itself away, but that's another story. Any way, no parking near the tube station where you would expect to pick it up. Previously, I went to Tesco to pick up the Evening Standard, so they got all my top up shopping business (milk, lottery ticket, etc.). Now I go to Waitrose, because of the daily coffee. Over the last year, I would say Waitrose has snatched £1,000 of business from Tesco.

With Tesco, I pay £2.50 for the Sunday Times, whereas I get it free if I spend £7.50+ in Waitrose.

Lately, Santander has been doing 10% off deals if I use their cards to pay in Waitrose. Once only, though, so I need to concentrate the shopping on a Sunday, to get the Sunday Times as well.

simplealan

The email I got did not say I must buy something to eat, it said I would be asked to buy. A significant difference between an invitation and an order.
Is eating being made compulsory now? Could Waitrose actually tell their cardholders?
Anyway, we usually do eat in the cafe, so it won't make much difference - unless they go the whole way and remove the free drink altogether. They haven't yet told me that.

jap200

The title of this thread is so misleading "MSE News: Waitrose to scrap free hot drinks offer in its cafes".
Waitrose haven't scrapped it at all - as the detail of the news story points out - the coffee is still free in the cafe if you pay for a small extra.

MSE - shame on you for reporting this in such an inflammatory and misleading way! This is still an exceptionally good offer - one that MSE should be praising, not criticising.

I for one am relieved - I might now be able to sit down in the cafe and enjoy a coffee there rather than having to take it away because of the seat blockers nursing a single cup all day!

cuongMe

It is theft. We are talking about people without cards taking coffees!!!!

6_6_6 wrote: »

You can't steel what is free. What if you have 3 cards ? What if the staff who keep having to scan the stupid cards just get fed up and don't bother. It does not change the fact that there is no charge for the coffee dispensed. So shouting theft is dimwitted at best.

All it could ever be construe is as a breach of contract, and that's a civil matter.

However, I believe Waitrose would have been better to have dispensed tokens at the checkout and used tokenized machines! I am totally against randoms turning up, queuing then leaving with a free coffee and no purchase. All that causes is a mess. All this goes away if they had a minimum £1 sale condition on a token or such like.


When I talk of tokens, this might be in the form of a physical coin, or a bar code reader on the machine that allows your coffee when your daily £1 spend limit is reached after submitting your code for scanning at the checkout.

cuongMe

So you are the ones that just come in for free drinks with no purchase? No wonder the queues are long for us paying customers!

Girl_Overboard wrote: »

You don't have to buy anything to claim your free drink though. You can just go up to customer services or a checkout and ask for one. I get a free cup of tea every day and it's cheaper than making it at home, let alone going to a coffee shop! I mean obviously they're hoping people will come in for their free drinks and then end up spending money, but you don't have to spend a thing.