Waitrose is to reintroduce larger economy-tier own label toilet rolls, seven months after shrinking them.
The retailer has relaunched old-style Essential White Ultra Soft Bathroom Tissue rolls under the Waitrose & Partners banner. They would “use the much-loved original formula and be on sale for their original price”, Waitrose said. The larger rolls will be in a pack of nine for £5, supported by in-store signage to alert customers of their return in new packaging.
The current, smaller rolls will continue to be available as Essential White Ultra Soft Bathroom Tissue, in a variety of pack sizes. The nine-pack is currently priced at £4 – the equivalent of 23.4p per 100 sheets. The Waitrose & Partners nine-pack will be 23.1p per 100 sheets.
The move comes after the supermarket changed its range of Essentials toilet rolls in June, dropping the size to put them “in line with competitors” and reducing shelf prices by about 20%. It saw the addition of embossed texture to the paper, smaller sheets, and a cut in the number of sheets from 240 to 190.
Numerous shoppers took to the web to express their dislike of the revamp. On the social media platform X, one user raged: “Disappointed that your own brand toilet roll is now poor quality, a smaller roll and larger cardboard tube! Really wish I’d not wasted hard earnt money on a 16-pack. Feel like I’ve been ripped off. No warning of any change in quality!”
In a one-star review of the Essentials product on the Waitrose site, another disgruntled shopper wrote: “I am appalled to see the shocking reduction in the quality, size, and value of these toilet rolls, which I have happily bought for years, and recommended to many others!”
The larger rolls will return to shelves this month.
“We’re grateful for everyone’s feedback,” said Jack Hammersley, buyer for Waitrose. “It was heard loud and clear, and our original rolls are back on shelves. Same price, same formula, slightly fancier packaging.”
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