Monthly perk no longer guaranteed.
John Lewis is putting the brakes on its popular free tea and cake offer available to loyalty card members.
The my John Lewis loyalty scheme, which launched in October last year, is free to sign up to and gives members previews, access to exclusive events, entry into a regular prize draw as well as tailored offers.
But a big draw was that it also entitled members to a free hot drink and cake each month at the retailer’s in-store cafés and restaurants.
Those that signed up were instantly issued a set of 12 vouchers, one to use each month, for the treat worth around £5, with no minimum spend.
But now, less than a year since it launched, the perk is being scaled back.
No longer guaranteed
New members that sign up for the loyalty scheme are now no longer guaranteed to get the free hot drink and cake vouchers.
John Lewis said the reward would now depend on a variety of factors like "shopping frequency, spend, preferences and purchases" rather than just signing up and having the card.
From September existing members will also face the same treatment and will have to earn their treats.
So while the offer hasn’t been scrapped altogether, it is being reigned in.
John Lewis also said it would be reducing the number of hot drink and cake vouchers issued to members as it approaches the busy Christmas period as its restaurants become extremely busy.
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Learning curve
Last year Chris Bates, head of marketing at John Lewis, told lovemoney.com the store’s first loyalty scheme had been designed to offer "immediate rewards" so that members could "experience the benefits of membership straight away".
But the ‘never knowingly undersold’ retailer has made a U-turn on its original plan.
Rather than issuing an instant reward it’s starting to make people work harder for it.
Presumably this is to stop abusers of the scheme that signed up for the card purely to get the vouchers, without any intention of shopping at John Lewis.
A spokesperson admitted the scheme was still in its "infancy" and was "evolving", but said it would come up with some new rewards as a way to say thank you to customers over the coming year.
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