WAITROSE shoppers are in for a treat as the supermarket is making a major change to its free coffee offer.
For the first time in six years, Waitrose is providing free in-store coffee to customers in disposable cups.
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As part of a 12-week trial to examine the cost and uptake of the product, takeaway mugs have now been brought back to ten stores, The Grocer reports.
This implies that customers who have MyWaitrose loyalty cards will no longer need to bring their own disposable cup in order to get their free drink when they purchase in those establishments.
To redeem their drink, they will still need to scan their loyalty card.
Waitrose debuted the update last week at the reopening of its renovated John Barnes shop, along with a revamped Nero coffee station.
The updated offer comes with new cup holders for disposal as well as an additional dispenser that serves oat milk drinks in addition to the usual semi-skimmed milk option.
The other stores involved in the trial are Bagshot, Newton Mearns, Edgware Road, Kingshill, Sheffield, Balham, Cobham, Maidenhead, and Sudbury.
After the first 12 weeks of the pilot, Waitrose has not stated if it plans to expand the program to additional stores.
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “To allow more MyWaitrose members to enjoy a free hot drink, we’re trialling the introduction of takeaway cups in a small number of our shops for customers who forget to bring their reusable cups.
“We’re also using the national cup recycling scheme so that any disposable cups used can be conveniently recycled.”
In 2018, the upscale supermarket announced that it was removing takeout cups from its locations in an attempt to cut down on packaging waste.
Later, during the coronavirus pandemic, it completely stopped providing the complimentary hot drinks.
Resuming the benefit after the pandemic, it stated — controversially for some shoppers — that MyWaitrose members would have to bring their own cups in order to redeem their drink in November 2022.
The trial coincides with Waitrose’s announcement this week of a significant new expansion strategy aimed at regaining market share that it has lost to competitors such as M&S.
During the next five years, it plans to open 100 new Little Waitrose convenience stores and five new supermarkets, marking one of the company’s “biggest periods of expansion” in history, according to Waitrose.
Additionally, work is still being done behind the scenes to create a new pan-partnership loyalty program.
The present distinct MyWaitrose and MyJohn Lewis programmes will be relaunched as a single, cohesive offer across both businesses when it goes live in 2024.
Shoppers have previously mourned changes to the Waitrose free hot drink offer.
Loyalty members would have to purchase something in store before they can get their free cup of tea or coffee.
Social media sites were flooded with posts from unhappy Waitrose shoppers.
One customer said on X, formerly Twitter: “Today is a sad day, RIP free Waitrose coffee.”
Another added: “The rumours are true, my heart is breaking.
“I cannot simply get a free coffee in @Waitrose without buying something first.”
The free takeaway coffee offer has been a huge success for the supermarket, bringing in thousands of extra customers, since its launch in 2013.
In January 2015, the supermarket introduced a rule that anyone who wanted a free coffee from the chain’s cafe to drink at a table would also need to buy some food.
Then in November 2016, Waitrose changed the rules for the free drink offer – asking shoppers to make a purchase before getting their freebie – in a small number of stores.
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