In the quiet arithmetic of everyday shopping, Waitrose has begun testing a new way to say thank you: spend a certain amount in a month, and a small reward appears. Across eighteen stores, the 'Little Treat' vouchers mark a modest turn in a long relationship between a retailer and its loyal customers, who are invited not just to buy but to be remembered. Whether this small gesture becomes a lasting part of the scheme or fades as one experiment among many will depend on what the trial teaches the company about generosity and value.
Waitrose Trials 'Little Treat' Vouchers in 18 Stores, Unlocked by Monthly Spending Thresholds
Spend enough in a month and a small reward appears.
Mark
So what exactly is changing here? It sounds small.
Mimi
It is small, on purpose. In 18 stores, spending £50, £100 and £250 in a month unlocks up to three vouchers, for free products or money off a later shop.
Mark
And the count starts over each month?
Mimi
Yes, it resets to zero at the start of every month, so a shopper has to earn them again.
Luke
Worth noting what we don't know. The reporting doesn't say what the treats are worth, or which products are on offer.
Mark
Does it replace the existing perks?
Mimi
No. Waitrose has confirmed free hot drinks, the 20% off selected service counter items on certain days, and Uber Eats offers all stay.
Luke
That's Waitrose's confirmation, and it covers the trial. Nothing here says what happens if the scheme goes national.
Mark
There's also the borrowed cup idea.
Mimi
Right. Nine stores are testing it. You scan your card, borrow a cup, and return it within a week or pay £3.
Luke
And the trial is just that, a trial. Whether it expands is unreported, so anything beyond 18 stores is speculation.
Mark
Is there a bigger picture?
Mimi
A new 30,000 square foot Brabazon store in North Bristol, due in 2027, with around 150 jobs. It sits alongside the loyalty tweaks, though the article doesn't link them.
Il Polso
- Shoppers in 18 trial stores can now unlock up to three vouchers a month, at spending points of £50, £100 and £250.
- The thresholds reset each month, so every reward must be earned again from scratch.
- Existing perks such as free hot drinks and Uber Eats offers are staying put, so nothing is being taken away.
- The trial is one of several loyalty tweaks, including borrowed reusable cups with a £3 penalty for late returns.
- The outcome hangs on whether the vouchers spread beyond the trial stores or quietly disappear.
In the quiet arithmetic of everyday shopping, Waitrose has begun testing a new way to say thank you: spend a certain amount in a month, and a small reward appears. Across eighteen stores, the 'Little Treat' vouchers mark a modest turn in a long relationship between a retailer and its loyal customers, who are invited not just to buy but to be remembered. Whether this small gesture becomes a lasting part of the scheme or fades as one experiment among many will depend on what the trial teaches the company about generosity and value.
Waitrose is testing a simple idea in its myWaitrose loyalty scheme: shop enough in a single month and a reward appears. The 'Little Treat' vouchers are being trialled in 18 stores, unlocking at £50, £100 and £250 of spending. A shopper can earn up to three in a month, and the count starts again at zero the following month. The vouchers can be swapped for free products or discounts on future shops.
The company has been clear that nothing is being traded away. Free hot drinks, the 20% off selected service counter products on certain days, and the Uber Eats offers all remain. Nathan Ansell, Waitrose's chief customer officer, framed the change as part of ongoing work to improve the scheme, describing the treats as a regular reminder to loyal customers that they are valued, and a sign that they belong to a club of food lovers.
The trial sits among other recent changes. Shoppers can now borrow a reusable cup for their free drink, with a week to return it or pay £3, a idea first tested in nine stores. Free tea and coffee, once requiring a purchase, has been available to card holders without buying anything since January last year.
All of this arrives as Waitrose prepares to open its first full-size supermarket in seven years, in Brabazon, North Bristol, expected in 2027 and creating around 150 jobs. The open question is whether the Little Treat vouchers will grow beyond their 18 trial stores or remain a short experiment.
Waitrose is testing a new feature in its myWaitrose loyalty scheme, and it works on a simple principle: spend enough in a month and a small reward appears. The 'Little Treat' vouchers are being trialled in 18 stores, and they unlock when a customer's spending reaches £50, £100 and £250.
That means a shopper can earn up to three vouchers in any given month. The count then resets to zero at the start of the following month, so the thresholds have to be reached again each time. The vouchers can either unlock free products or give discounts off future supermarket shops.
Waitrose has confirmed the vouchers will not replace the benefits members already have. Free hot drinks stay, as do 20% off selected service counter products on select days and the offers on Uber Eats.
Nathan Ansell, Waitrose's chief customer officer, described the change as part of ongoing work on the scheme. He said the company is continually investing in and evolving My Waitrose for its members' benefit. In his words, the treats are a way to regularly remind a growing number of loyal customers how much they are valued, and could be something delicious, something useful or something that makes them smile. Over a year, he said, members could receive many treats, each a reminder that they belong to a special club of food lovers.
The trial follows other adjustments to the scheme. Waitrose now lets customers borrow a reusable coffee cup when claiming their free drink. Shoppers have a week to return the cup to a specific drop-off point or face a £3 charge. The company revealed in June that the idea was being tested in nine stores. To use the 'Borrow a Free Cup' option, a customer scans their MyWaitrose card. Those who prefer to bring their own cup can still do so, provided it fits under the nozzle of the self-service machine.
The free drink itself became easier to get in January last year, when Waitrose brought back free tea and coffee for loyalty card holders even if they buy nothing. Previously, members had to purchase something in store first. The company emailed customers about the change, telling them they could get their free hot drink without buying anything first, and reminding them not to forget their reusable cup.
The loyalty changes arrive alongside expansion plans. In June, Waitrose revealed it would open its first full-size supermarket in seven years. Its parent group, the John Lewis Partnership, said it had agreed a multi-million-pound deal to grow the supermarket arm further. The new store is expected to open in 2027 in Brabazon, a new town in North Bristol. At 30,000 square feet, it is being developed in partnership with YTL Developments and is set to create around 150 jobs.
What to watch is whether the Little Treat trial grows beyond its 18 stores, and whether the vouchers end up as a permanent part of the myWaitrose offer.
Citazioni salienti
'Little Treats' is a way to regularly remind our growing number of loyal customers how much we value them.— Nathan Ansell, chief customer officer, Waitrose
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