Independent retailers have been urged to seize the sales opportunities offered by Waitrose's decision to scrap its free newspaper offer for its loyalty card customers, the NFRN has said.
The supermarket reportedly emailed myWaitrose card holders to advise that from February 22, they could no longer receive a free newspaper when spending £10 or more.
Reacting to the news, NFRN national president Narinder Randhawa said: “The free newspaper offer has long been a bone of contention with independent news retailers, as it has cannibalised sales.
“The announcement that Waitrose’s is scrapping its free newspapers later this month should provide retailers in the vicinity of its stores an excellent opportunity to pick up more casual sales. We will be encouraging members in those areas to ensure their newspapers are prominently displayed at point of sale and, if possible, on their shop counters too.”
Randhawa added that the NFRN’s news department will be working with news wholesalers to ensure that members have extra copies to capitalise on this opportunity.
