Waitrose brings back free coffee for non-shoppers

British supermarket chain Waitrose has announced that it will once again offer free coffee to all members, even if they do not make a purchase at the store. This benefit applies to all customers who have registered for the myWaitrose membership program. Starting January 27th, members can receive a free hot drink daily, with no purchase necessary, as long as they bring their own reusable cup.

This free coffee benefit was originally introduced in 2013 but was changed four years later to be available only to customers making in-store purchases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the benefit was completely canceled, and then gradually reintroduced. A Waitrose spokesperson stated, "Some members like to enjoy a free coffee before or while they shop, rather than after, so we are simply offering some flexibility based on customer feedback."

The benefit was very popular when it was launched but also drew criticism from some existing Waitrose customers, who felt it attracted "inappropriate" customers to the stores. After being suspended in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharon White, the former chair of the John Lewis Partnership (Waitrose's parent company), gradually reintroduced the benefit for members who made purchases. She was replaced last September by Jason Tarry, who had worked at Tesco for over 30 years.

The Labour Party had previously criticized Waitrose's free coffee offer. In 2014, then-Shadow Communities Secretary Andy Sawford asked other MPs to write to Waitrose's managing director, stating that the scheme could "further destroy the British high street" and take business away from small businesses. At the time, British Prime Minister David Cameron said he didn't know "what people were complaining about."

Aside from members, the only other group who can get free coffee at Waitrose without making a purchase are police officers. The company offers hot drinks to police as one of the measures "to reduce shoplifting." When it was introduced in August 2023, Pete Nightingale, secretary of the West Mercia Police Federation, said: "From a business perspective, it makes sense because any police presence has an impact – whether it’s as reassurance for shoppers or a deterrent to shoplifters."