Waitrose "Pick Your Own" scheme closing - confused / IT illiterate customers

[jpaul]

Shame - this scheme compelled me to use Waitrose regularly for shopping, and was innovative versus (worthless?) loyalty cards at other supermarkets.
you needed to use Waitrose web-site to pre select your favourite products, for a 20% reduction;
I can only assume, that some vocal Waitrose customers were not sufficiently IT literate to use it.

It surprises me that the other Supermarket techniques 3for2, or multibuy still persist, many of the folks in the shops seem to shop with a smart phone, which would quickly reveal what are the genuine offers, or, lacking that, are they unable to remember prices. (eg. mysupermarket/hotuk)

Waitrose is to close part of its loyalty scheme at the end of February after customers complained they found it too confusing, the Guardian has learned.

Pick your own offers gave shoppers 20% off on 10 chosen products from a range of hundreds, which could be anything from expensive buys such as smoked salmon to frequently bought items such as loo roll. It was available to millions of holders of the myWaitrose card.

Launched by the grocer as an eye-catching salvo in the UK supermarket price war in June 2015, pick your own offers was described by the then managing director, Mark Price, as “groundbreaking” but potentially very expensive. It was estimated that the price cuts could cost up to £260m a year or more, with Waitrose splitting that cost with suppliers it signed up.....

Members of HotUKDeals, the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community, spotted that the scheme was due to close on 28 February. According to a staff briefing document, the reason given was that customers had told Waitrose they found the “process for choosing and remembering their picks quite confusing”.

 

[jpaul]

Agree with the parmesan comment (+cheaper mince/braising steak)

Did subsequently think, maybe Waitrose is lying and the scheme costs too much so they are using a few customer comments as a pretext,
it was worth a lot more than a few cups of free coffee (never did plain espresso so never had one)

Not into online yet, I need to explore shopping apps, for ones that will give you reminder in the supermarket navigating you to deals on favourite products
- not sure if phones are good enough yet for aisle navigation.

 

[jpaul]

lol just go the email - what remains -

On 28 February, we'll be closing Pick Your Own Offers, and providing personalised rewards selected just for you.

You can also continue to enjoy all of your other myWaitrose benefits:

• Free tea or coffee when you shop with us
• Buy a selected newspaper and we'll take the cost off the rest of your shopping
• Free Waitrose Food Magazine each month
• Save money at the Waitrose Cookery School
• Discount on Johnsons Dry Cleaning available at the Welcome Desk
• Tailored vouchers and offers - online, in store or through the post
• Exclusive member only competitions and experiences

Continue to swipe your card each time you visit to ensure we can offer you tailored myWaitrose offers.

Cookery school advice

 

[jpaul]

WAITROSE redeemed themselves lol - that will stop those idiots stumbling around the shop

We’re taking action on takeaway coffee cups

By autumn this year, we will have removed takeaway coffee cups from all our stores.

It’s not a decision we have taken lightly. Our packaging team has spent a year trying to source cups that can be easily recycled. But we believe, after looking at all the alternatives and listening to the views of customers, that we need to act now.

We are still delighted to offer you a free hot drink whenever you shop with us. We just need your help. Once takeaway cups are removed from your store, we’d like you to bring in your own reusable cup.