Waitrose unveils its inaugural £5 meal deal

Waitrose, known for its quality and premium offerings, is now targeting price-conscious lunchtime customers with its first-ever meal deal. Starting on August 30th, shoppers will have the opportunity to purchase a main, side, and drink for just £5. The meal deal will include a variety of options such as sandwiches, sushi, salads, wraps, fruit, cereal bars, crisps, juices, and smoothies. Additionally, members of the supermarket’s loyalty scheme, myWaitrose, will receive a complimentary cup of coffee with the meal deal purchase.

Although Waitrose’s meal deal is priced at £5, which is higher than those offered by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrisons, it aligns with the premium meal deals provided by these supermarkets that offer more deluxe items. Jennifer Moscardini, Waitrose’s food-to-go buyer, expressed the importance of offering a convenient and high-quality meal deal at a great value to cater to their customers’ lunchtime needs.

Waitrose’s discounted lunchtime deal is taking place amidst a fierce price war in the supermarket sector, as traditional grocers aim to retain cost-conscious shoppers who are increasingly being enticed by German discount retailers Aldi and Lidl. In response to this competition, Waitrose had previously announced plans to lower prices on essential grocery items as part of its strategy to appeal to cash-strapped middle-class shoppers.

Furthermore, with increasing pressure from the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), supermarkets are being urged to reduce prices and pass on savings from global commodity price drops to customers. While the CMA has determined that supermarkets are not profiteering from the cost-of-living crisis, they have emphasized the importance of lowering prices wherever possible.