Waitrose is changing the rules for its free takeaway tea and coffee in a trial at eight stores, amid complaints the freebie is attracting 'the wrong sort of people'.
Also, in some places, the easy availability of free hot drinks at Waitrose has affected sales at nearby cafes and coffee shops.
Customers with a myWaitrose card will have to buy something if they want to claim their free hot drink at the following branches – Billericay, Bury St Edmunds, Clifton, Leigh-on-Sea, Mountsorrel, Norwich, Southend and Swaffham.
The supermarket group has yet to confirm how long the trial would run for or whether it will be rolled out to stores if successful.
A Waitrose spokesman said, 'We'll simply be asking myWaitrose members in these shops to make a purchase before collecting their free coffee at the checkout.
'A free tea or coffee was introduced as a way for us to thank people for shopping with us and we are looking at ways to best ensure we provide the benefit as it was originally intended.'