How to make the most of Waitrose's 'pick your own offers'

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jun/19/how-to-make-most-waitrose-pick-your-own-offers

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Waitrose has launched a new initiative for its loyalty card holders, offering 20% off their favourite 10 items on every shop. The “pick your own offers” scheme allows shoppers to choose which purchases they want to save money on – and they get the discount each time they buy them online or instore.

Related: Waitrose launches 'pick your own offers' scheme for loyal shoppers

We looked at how it works, how to make the biggest savings, and how the price of shopping through the new scheme stacks up compared with other major supermarket chains.

How does it work?

To use the scheme shoppers must have a myWaitrose card. They can then create an online account, log in, and view the full list of almost 1,000 products from which to select the 10 items they want. They will then get 20% off the cost of these goods, however many times they buy them.

Discounts last for a fixed period, currently until September. After that shoppers get the chance to choose from a new list. The discount is applied automatically at the checkout, and is on top of other promotions. For example, chickens are currently £10 for three, with the 20% off on top of this. Shoppers who sign up for the scheme by 7 July will also get £6 off a £60 shop.

What kind of items does the list include?

Waitrose says it will always include a wide range of items, from basic groceries and toiletries to more expensive items such as cuts of meat and wine. At present about half the list are branded and half Waitrose’s own-label, and the majority are fresh produce.

The list will be tailored towards items that are typically popular in that particular season. So, for example, there might be salad, cucumber and white wine on offer in summer, while in winter stews and soups are more likely to be available.

However, some typical staples for many people, such as milk and bananas, are not currently included.

What are the biggest savings possible in one shop?

Almost £20.50 if you bought the 10 most expensive items currently on offer, we found, with the 20% discount applied on the total £102.10 price.

This includes a packet of Redoxon 11 vitamins and minerals at £13.45, giving a discount of £2.69 under the scheme. The second most expensive product is a crate of 12 300ml bottles of Budweiser, at £12.19, with £2.44 off under the scheme. It’s not exactly a typical weekly shop, but shows it could be worth picking a few pricey items that you do not buy so often.

Does this make Waitrose cheaper than other supermarkets?

These discounts are all well and good, but how does the price you ultimately pay compare with what your shop would cost elsewhere? We put the basket of 10 popular items under the Waitrose scheme into Mysupermarket.co.uk to compare prices. Sainsbury’s charged £20.55 for the basket (substituting the closest alternatives to the Waitrose own-brand items), while Tesco charged £20.89, and Morrisons £21.59. This compares to £18.24 with Waitrose’s scheme. So you would save £2.31 compared to the cheapest basket of the same products elsewhere.