Free Coffee At Waitrose Creates "Middle Class Revolt"

[Zaune]

The Independent

Waitrose is facing a middle-class revolt from shoppers who claim that its free coffee and tea are attracting the wrong type of customers.

The high-end supermarket currently offers a free cup of coffee or tea for customers holding a myWaitrose loyalty card - even if they don't make a purchase.

Angry shoppers used Facebook and Twitter to vent their frustration, arguing that handing out free drinks is turning Waitrose into a soup kitchen and the stores are packed with less affluent customers, which is putting some customers off.

One Facebook user wrote on the supermarket's page: "Please stop the free coffee at Barry Waitrose, it is putting me off shopping in the store people are coming with two cards two free coffee no shopping, with their Tesco bags.

"I think seeing people walking round the store holding on to takeaway cups of tea and coffee looks quite ridiculous and brings down the image of Waitrose until it is just like everywhere else – in which case I might as well shop anywhere else."

Another angry shopper said: "Bit disconcerting seeing people carrying cups of hot coffee around Waitrose whilst they text and push trolleys with their bellies."

Shoppers holding a myWaitrose loyalty card can choose from a selection of hot drinks including tea, lattes, mochas, americanos and capuccinos.

Mark Price, head of Waitrose, defended the scheme insisting that customers prefer immediate rewards, such as grabbing a free cup of coffee on their way to work, to collecting points.

According to the supermarket, "nothing says welcome more than a lovely cup of coffee or tea". But it seems that some customers disagree.

Makes you proud to be British, doesn't it?

[Grumman]

At least some of them have a point. If people are not paying attention or just shoving a trolley around, that's going to be annoying if it used to be a store where you didn't have to worry about some dumbass running you over.

[Rogue 9]

At least some of them have a point. If people are not paying attention or just shoving a trolley around, that's going to be annoying if it used to be a store where you didn't have to worry about some dumbass running you over.

Somehow I doubt that's the concern.

[Guardsman Bass]

At least some of them have a point. If people are not paying attention or just shoving a trolley around, that's going to be annoying if it used to be a store where you didn't have to worry about some dumbass running you over.

Somehow I doubt that's the concern.

The wikipedia entry describes it as an "upmarket supermarket chain", so it probably just is a bunch of upper-middle-class assholes whining about poor-looking people wandering around in their stores.

I can understand complaining about crowding, if the coffee was making the stores really crowded all of a sudden. But not just that there are poor people in the store.

[K. A. Pital]

Some morons feeling entitled, and the sky is blue. Ugh.

[salm]

Scared of a Tesco bag. Funny.

[Vendetta]

The wikipedia entry describes it as an "upmarket supermarket chain", so it probably just is a bunch of upper-middle-class assholes whining about poor-looking people wandering around in their stores.

It's exactly that.

The class politics of supermarket chains is vicious.

Y'see, the aspirational upper middle classes shop at Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. The lower middle classes without quite enough money to be aspirational shop at Sainsbury's, the labouring classes shop at Tescos and shiftless oiks shop at Asda. (The actually rich people have people to shop for them and probably don't give a fuck where it comes from)

[Zaune]

That's... eerily accurate based on my own experiences, actually.

[UnderAGreySky]

As someone who shops at Tesco only because it has always been the closest supermarket to me, that still rings true! I do like the stuff at M&S but I can't bear the thought of having to pay 10-20% more for everything...

Where does Morrison's rank in your heirarchy?

[Vendetta]

Not terribly familiar with Morrison's but isn't it sort of the other Sainsbury's? Keeps the scum out of Waitrose.

The Co-Op is obv. at the bottom end with Asda except more communist and less Wal-Mart.

[energiewende]

Mark Price, head of Waitrose, defended the scheme insisting that customers prefer immediate rewards, such as grabbing a free cup of coffee on their way to work, to collecting points.

So the real purpose of this is to avoid paying actual money (or almost-money) to customer, in the hope that water will give just as happy a feeling at a much lower cost.

Y'see, the aspirational upper middle classes shop at Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. The lower middle classes without quite enough money to be aspirational shop at Sainsbury's, the labouring classes shop at Tescos and shiftless oiks shop at Asda. (The actually rich people have people to shop for them and probably don't give a fuck where it comes from)

I have known a fair few actually rich English people who shopped at Asda. The savings went toward making them actually rich, rather than just seemingly so.

[Vendetta]

Mark Price, head of Waitrose, defended the scheme insisting that customers prefer immediate rewards, such as grabbing a free cup of coffee on their way to work, to collecting points.

So the real purpose of this is to avoid paying actual money (or almost-money) to customer, in the hope that water will give just as happy a feeling at a much lower cost.

No, the real purpose is to get people to come into the shop more often.

If they establish part of people's routine being "come into Waitrose and get your free cup of coffee (& newspaper which I think you get as well) on the way to work", they will also remember all those other little things they need and buy them in your shop, getting you more actual sales.

It's actually similar to the reason facebook games are designed with "energy" systems that stop you doing too much at once, because they know roughly how often people check facebook they make sure there's something new to do on the game at about that interval or multiples of it, so it habituates people into checking the game when they check facebook.

Establishing yourself in the habits of potential customers is among the most powerful ways to extract money from them.

[Zaune]

Not terribly familiar with Morrison's but isn't it sort of the other Sainsbury's? Keeps the scum out of Waitrose.

Pretty much. My mum shopped there when Sainsbury's wasn't an option, and she's the sort of person who'd very much like to shop at Waitrose but isn't in that financial league.

[Lagmonster]

The class politics of supermarket chains is vicious.

I'm familiar with the feeling. In its defence, absolutely nobody enjoys coming face to face with human misery when they're out in their community. Even though 99% of who you'd consider 'poor' in urban America are nice people with personal pride, who are good parents and not hygenically-challenged, you will always remember the one guy who wasn't, and you will never want to chance meeting him again.

[Tanasinn]

God forbid the wannabe wealthy have to cast their eyes upon some filthy prole.

[Scrib]

The class politics of supermarket chains is vicious.

I'm familiar with the feeling. In its defence, absolutely nobody enjoys coming face to face with human misery when they're out in their community. Even though 99% of who you'd consider 'poor' in urban America are nice people with personal pride, who are good parents and not hygenically-challenged, you will always remember the one guy who wasn't, and you will never want to chance meeting him again.

I don't think they give a fuck about actual misery no? Just that the extra money or time they're spending is no longer providing the affirmation they want. I mean, look at the complaints, nothing there is truly serious, it's just people who have come into contact with the ancient,undeniable fact that if "those people" (anywhere from pondscum to someone who wears sweats out) can get it it's not quite as valuable.

You're being very charitable.

[Starglider]

The Co-Op is obv. at the bottom end with Asda except more communist and less Wal-Mart.

Co-op stores seem to vary a lot. There is one near us in Kenley and it is full of overpriced fair trade eco nonsense hipster food. I remember the ones in Sheffield were kind of bottom of the barrel* though, even the giant new Asda there was much better. Location probably matters more than brand to most people though, I buy food at M&S and Waitrose simply because they have shops in Liverpool Street station and Canary Wharf shopping mall. My wife shops at Sainsbury's because it is on the road leading home from work.

* The actual bottom of the barrel is Lidl, as illustrated by the store near our old house in the Croydon Riot Zone. It definitely had a 'People of Wal Mart' vibe going on.

[Dr. Trainwreck]

Man, Lidl must be the absolute worst in any country they operate. There are some good things to be had there, but generally they seem to attract the same people regardless of location.

[Thanas]

Lidl & Aldi, making people slaves to German chain stores wherever they go.

[Executor32]

Aldi makes it hard to stay away when they have milk for $1.89/gal.

[Zaune]

Co-op stores seem to vary a lot. There is one near us in Kenley and it is full of overpriced fair trade eco nonsense hipster food. I remember the ones in Sheffield were kind of bottom of the barrel* though, even the giant new Asda there was much better. Location probably matters more than brand to most people though, I buy food at M&S and Waitrose simply because they have shops in Liverpool Street station and Canary Wharf shopping mall. My wife shops at Sainsbury's because it is on the road leading home from work.

* The actual bottom of the barrel is Lidl, as illustrated by the store near our old house in the Croydon Riot Zone. It definitely had a 'People of Wal Mart' vibe going on.

I hope you realise how much money you could be saving on car repairs, painting and decorating and probably various recreational chemicals by getting to know those people a bit better.

[Starglider]

I hope you realise how much money you could be saving on car repairs

They don't know the meaning of the phrase, if their car breaks down they simply steal a new one. Or con one out of the disability benefit scheme.

painting and decorating

Qualified tradesmen actually make decent money in the south, too much to hang about in sinkhole council estates. Unqualified cowboys, sure.

[Simon_Jester]

I'm familiar with the feeling. In its defence, absolutely nobody enjoys coming face to face with human misery when they're out in their community. Even though 99% of who you'd consider 'poor' in urban America are nice people with personal pride, who are good parents and not hygenically-challenged, you will always remember the one guy who wasn't, and you will never want to chance meeting him again.

I don't think they give a fuck about actual misery no? Just that the extra money or time they're spending is no longer providing the affirmation they want. I mean, look at the complaints, nothing there is truly serious, it's just people who have come into contact with the ancient,undeniable fact that if "those people" (anywhere from pondscum to someone who wears sweats out) can get it it's not quite as valuable.

You're being very charitable.

Not, however, necessarily wrong.

I mean, which is more likely: that large numbers of people are seriously willing to protest and change shopping habits purely out of snootiness? Out of some abstract, theoretical commitment to getting affirmation that no, they don't shop in the same place as the people who make 25% less money than they do?

Or that said people are genuinely (if wrongly) afraid that they will have to deal with the rude, violent, unwashed people they expect to see (some of the time, at least) when they hear the words "we're bringing in a lower income demographic?"

People in the mid- to upper middle class are not cartoon villains.

[madd0ct0r]

you've not met my mother then.

[Broomstick]

Lidl & Aldi, making people slaves to German chain stores wherever they go.

Man, I love my local Aldi's. I think I'm welcoming my German chain store overlords!

Never heard of Lidl before, had to look them up. Apparently they don't operate in the US, although they have plans to open stores here in the near future.

ETA: We used to see more grocery store snobbishness around here, but since the Great Recession we've upscale markets close as the discount places have surged. But then, the whole area got hit hard and at a certain point you put your belly before your pride.