The Labour Party has accused upmarket grocer Waitrose of stealing custom from high street stores by handing out a million free coffees and newspapers to in-store shoppers each week.
The myWaitrose loyalty scheme was having a stark effect on coffee shops and newsagents across the UK, said Labour.
Andy Sawford, shadow communities minister, has asked every MP to write to Waitrose MD, Mark Price, to tell him that his company is acting in a way that will “further destroy the British high street”.
In his letter to MPs, the MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire said, “I am concerned that its current customer loyalty scheme is having a very negative impact on specific types of local small businesses.”
He urged all MPs to encourage the chain to make changes to the loyalty card scheme in the spirit of fair competition.
“I have seen the stark effects of the Waitrose scheme on the turnover of businesses in my own constituency,” he said.
One of Labour’s policies defends the interests of small operators against the “big business”.
Waitrose customers in possession of a myWaitrose card are entitled to one free tea or coffee each day – the offers isn’t dependant on a in-store purchase.
Around four million card holders can also get a free daily newspaper when spending more than £5 in a Waitrose store.
Responding to Labour’s claims as ‘nonsense’, Price said Salford was misguided.
Waitrose is estimated to hand out one million cups of coffee and almost one million newspapers to shoppers each week.
© 2014 - European Supermarket Magazine
