Overview
- Waitrose raised the price of its three-item meal deal from £5 to £5.50 on Tuesday, the first change since the offer launched in 2023.
- The retailer defended the move by stressing the deal still offers value and by pointing to its ingredient quality standards and animal welfare commitments.
- Waitrose and its Leckford Estate report a 74% rise in weekly output of Duchy Organic unhomogenised milk since July 2023 and say overall processing capacity is now about 95% higher than in 2023 after new tanks and equipment increased capacity by roughly 20%.
- The hike follows a wider pattern of UK grocers lifting meal-deal prices in recent years, with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Asda and Greggs among those that have raised similar offers.
- The change could push budget-conscious shoppers toward cheaper supermarket deals and leave Waitrose relying on promotions, loyalty rewards and its wider price cuts on staple items to retain customers.