Spring 2009

Just before we closed for press, Waitrose announced a new bargain on its grocery home delivery service, waiving its delivery charge on orders worth over £50.

Some publications were claiming it was the first company in its field to offer free deliveries, though in fact Asda tried this approach back in 2001, when it was offering free delivery on orders valued at over £99. And when Ocado launched its grocery home delivery service back in the early years of the decade, this company too looked at free delivery on orders worth over £75.

Ocado of course sells Waitrose own-brand products (among others) online, and has lately started advertising what it calls 'internet-only prices' on these goods – explaining that this means lower prices than would be charged for similar items bought online from a group of Waitrose branches offering home deliveries.