Waitrose and John Lewis open Caffè Nero outlets in their shops

The owner of John Lewis and Waitrose is attempting to win back more shoppers by opening Caffè Nero coffee shops in its stores.
The John Lewis Partnership opened the cafés last week in five Waitrose shops — in Billericay, Godalming, Keynsham, Locks Heath and Stroud — offering coffee from Nero Roasting Company alongside Waitrose’s food menu. A Caffè Nero outlet opened in the John Lewis in White City, west London, on Thursday.
The in-shop café concept builds on a partnership with Nero Group, which launched in 2021 to offer free hot drinks to My Waitrose loyalty card holders.
Waitrose had scrapped the free hot drink offer in 2018, but brought it back after a customer backlash.
The free hot drinks machines are available in 320 Waitroses and since the start of the partnership almost 25 million hot drinks have been dispensed.
Although some may question the need to offer sit-in coffees too, the John Lewis Partnership said the cafés were a natural extension of the partnership, catering to customers who may want to sit down with their drink and have something to eat. The coffee will be served by baristas, it said, unlike the free coffee.
Charlotte Di Cello, commercial director for Waitrose, said: “Our stores are hubs for local communities across the country and we know our customers love to have the option of enjoying a coffee, snack or meal after their shop.”
Will Stratton-Morris, UK chief executive of Caffè Nero UK, described the collaboration as a “perfect pairing”, adding: “There is still so much scope for our partnership to continue to grow.”
The John Lewis Partnership has been fighting hard to reclaim its crown as middle England’s favourite retailer following a challenging few years marked by declining profits and shifts in customer behaviour.
As part of a retail-focused recovery strategy, the company has reintroduced its “never knowingly undersold” price pledge, invested heavily in customer service training and started revamping its shops.
The partnership reported sales of £5.9 billion in the first half, up by 2 per cent year on year, while revenue was up by 2 per cent to £5.2 billion. The company said it was on track to deliver significantly higher full-year profit above the £42 million reported last year.