Waitrose adds wine to its Pick Your Own Offers

Waitrose is adding wine to its Pick Your Own Offers for the first time since the scheme launched in June, giving customers 20% off their Chateaneuf Du Pape for Christmas.

It comes as the retailer ramps up its Pick Your Own Offers scheme, which has nearly a million customers signed up, for the festive season run-in, with more than 100 seasonal products added to the initiative.

Customers will also be able to change their picks twice in the festive period.

Launched in June, the scheme allows MyWaitrose members to choose 10 products from over 1,000 possibilities, on which they can save 20% on every shop.

The scheme has included beer and cider before but not wine.

Waitrose said the 14 wines chosen (see list) were all “celebratory” wines although there was less cheer for customers, with a ‘25% off all wine over six bottles’ promotion ending yesterday, meaning customers could not double up on their savings.

From today lines such as soft drinks and mixers, mince pies, Christmas wrap and crackers will also be added and on 9 December Waitrose will add a further selection of fresh Christmas food to the scheme, including party food, cheeses and hams, platters, pates, meat accompaniments and seasonal seafood.

A range of cold and flu remedies will also be included in the scheme for the first time, as Waitrose tries to take advantage of seasonality in non-food.

It is understood to be planning a similar blitz on health and wellbeing items in the new year.

“We want Pick Your Own Offers to be relevant to our customers and so we’re adding the things that people like to stock up on for Christmas, whether that’s essentials or festive treats,” said Waitrose marketing director, Rupert Thomas. “The idea of choosing the items you save money on really appeals to shoppers and I think that’s especially the case in the run up to the festive season.”