Loyalty for food lovers

John Lewis Partnership's 2024/25 annual report says My Waitrose grew 7% to 4.6 million active members while more customers shopped with the Partnership's brands. Waitrose also grew sales to £8.0 billion, invested in lower prices, relaunched Waitrose No.1, refurbished stores, and expanded convenience and on-demand routes.

Customers wanted value, but Waitrose could not win by becoming another points scheme. The stronger route was to turn loyalty into a clear membership experience: free coffee and treats, exclusive savings, more personalised offers, member-only events and promotions, and the feeling that Partners still knew food better than an algorithm.

The story for My Waitrose is strongest when membership connects three loops.

Everyday reward: keep the reasons to scan simple and visible: free tea or coffee, delicious treats, selected savings, and offers people can understand before they reach the till.

Food lover identity: use the membership to make Waitrose feel like a club: recipe inspiration, counters, seasonal ranges, competitions, food magazine moments, and member-only events that make the shop about taste, not just price.

Personalised value: make offers relevant without making the system feel opaque. The annual report points to personalised offers and improved My Waitrose benefits as part of the growth plan; the experience has to explain why a saving appears, when it expires, and how to use it online, in app, or in store.

The public results show the direction of travel. In 2024/25, My Waitrose reached 4.6 million active members, up 7%. Waitrose sales grew 4.4% to £8.0 billion, revenue grew 4.7% to £7.5 billion, volumes rose 2.6%, and adjusted operating profit increased by £122 million to £227 million. Waitrose also reported a fourth consecutive The Grocer customer service award, £150 million invested in New Lower Prices since 2023, and on-demand grocery sales up 110%.

Loyalty does not carry all of that alone, and it should not pretend to. Its job is to make the broader proposition easier to feel: good food, helpful Partners, relevant value, and a reason to come back before the next voucher expires.