Contents:
Waitrose’s point-of-sale (POS) materials
Free-standing display units (FSDU)
Alternative shopper activations
Waitrose’s nationwide retail-investment
‘Home of food lovers’ concept store in Newbury
Waitrose is a perfect contender to run shopper activations when targeting a middle-upper-class audience, reporting that 75% of their audience falls into the ABC1 demographic categorisation.
Waitrose shoppers are 94% more likely to be in the AB demographic and 34% more likely to agree that they don’t require a budget when food shopping.
Currently, Waitrose reports two styles of POS for suppliers. Either 'Fully Branded’ or designs using the 'Waitrose Toolkit’ are available to brands.
To maintain cohesive in-store visuals and branding, Waitrose has standardised the many aspects of what can be included in POS materials, especially in their toolkit, for example, the images that can be used, by only allowing images and packshots from their "brand bank" to be used in the toolkit; and the copy that can be used, by limiting the selection of headings available and the number of words.
The fully branded POS style is limited in quantity by Waitrose and allocated through a nomination and approval process. If approved, then the brand’s booking will be greenlighted by the media team.
The Waitrose toolkit style is a templated design with a selection of assets. However, background and layout cannot be changed. This is likely to maintain and protect Waitrose’s in-store visual branding as much as possible.
Waitrose does not offer a fully branded option for barkers. At a rate of £61 per store and per promotion period, the barkers are available in 2 different sizes:
The standard size is able to fit one packshot; the 'large' can fit 1-3 packshots, depending on the shape and size.
Brands can select from a few headings. Such as “Must Have”, “In The Press”, “Perfect For...", “Waitrose Exclusive”, “[Your Brand & Product Name]”, “New”, and “In Season” alongside supporting copy with a maximum of 16 words.
Both a fully branded and a Waitrose toolkit version of aisle fins are offered. The Waitrose Toolkit is available at a rate of £74 per store per promotional period for one fin.
There are two sizes available – all double-sided with both sides being identical:
Alongside the two available sizes, Waitrose also has an ‘Offers’ aisle fin which has a separate toolkit from the standard and mini sizes.
Available with the Waitrose Toolkit design, available for £111 per store, as well as a fully branded design option for £215 per store, Waitrose only offers one size for FSDUs. The component sizes are as follows:
FSDUs in Waitrose can also be shared between two brands. In that case, the price is split.
The rate for the Waitrose Toolkit is £111 per store and £215 for a fully branded display. The end cap display includes a header (1090 x 325 mm), side panels (355 x 1840 mm), and aisle fins (120 x 558 mm).
Waitrose stipulates that for shared brands' gondola ends, the branding must be shared unless one supplier carries the majority of the space. Then, the dominant brand may brand the header solely.
Waitrose offers an “in-store sampling program” which offers a chance for brands to drive product trials and visibility. The experiential package is delivered in proximity to the point of purchase and includes most of the costs of operations, including staffing, branding, POS, etc.
Waitrose has stated that there has been a “proven sales uplift from sampling” and reports “112k daily footfall at 70 stores". Sampling at Waitrose presents a memorable and engaging way for shoppers to simultaneously try new product offerings and learn about the brand or product.
Waitrose’s OOH is supplied by JCDecaux. The digital screens supply 6 sheets and offer brands a 10 or 6-second look out of a minute as well as supporting API plug-ins such as news and weather to serve contextual ads.
Posted at the entrance of Waitrose stores, these digital screens are a key component of the path to purchase methodology, leading shoppers from the car park to the shelf by connecting with shoppers at close proximity to the store entrance. Staying front-of-mind in shoppers’ minds as they enter the store, the digital screen is an opportunity to raise awareness at a key moment of the shopper journey.
Waitrose reports a 1.57 million weekly ‘opportunity to see’ in stores.
Recipe cards perform strongly for Waitrose. There are 9 slots per month and a 160,300 print run per recipe card to be displayed across national stores as a part of their initiative to be “at the forefront of food culture” by focusing on physical print media, which includes their magazine. The recipe is featured in an in-store barker as well as a banner on the website which leads to a page with the recipe, featuring just one branded product per recipe.
The recipe cards are decided based on a nomination process, reviewed by the Waitrose food team. The chosen recipes will be based on building a set of balanced recipes, as well as seasonal timing.
To be featured on a recipe card, the product should be in a minimum of 200 stores. Products in a smaller number of stores will also be considered, but simply on a case-by-case basis.
Waitrose plans to invest in every one of their shops nationwide – both refurbishing existing shops and opening new stores across the country. Following their “£1 billion, multi-year programme”, Waitrose has already transformed 23 existing shops and opened 3 convenience stores in 2025, with many more renovations and new stores to come in 2026.
Waitrose has opened a Newbury store as a testing ground for new shop concepts. Once the testing phase is complete, the new concepts may be introduced to other shops, becoming an integral blueprint for new Waitrose shops.
The store is powered by a record-breaking £50 million in tech, which includes:
Electronic and digital shelf labels will be implemented across all shops, freeing up space and time from partners manually inserting printed labels.
New handheld device which can be used to check stock and answer new customer queries in all Waitrose shops
Shelf-edge cameras, which help track gaps in stock, have been installed and are being tested in the Newbury store and 6 other shops.
Today, is a significant move forward in our strategy to be the undisputed Home of Food Lovers. We're deliberately investing in the joy of food – in expert cheesemongers, butchers, and fishmongers, as well as our cafés and bakeries – a strategic choice that champions the in-store experience for our customers. This vision is backed by our largest-ever tech investment, using AI and new systems to ensure a seamless customer experience, one that has our Partners and their passion for food right at its heart.
— Tina Mitchell, Interim Managing Director for Waitrose
Waitrose occasionally run their own branded promotions, which are displayed on their website. Usually there are a few available for anyone to enter, but for My Waitrose members there are also exclusive promotions.
Waitrose prize promotions don’t often feature other brands; however, on occasion, the retailer may partner with a brand listed in store. For March and April 2026, for example, Waitrose has partnered with the Greek yoghurt brand KRI KRI to offer participants the chance to win a trip to Santorini, Greece.
Waitrose also hosts a crossword competition on a monthly basis. A skill-based competition followed by a prize draw from eligible entrants to win a £100 John Lewis Partnership gift card.
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