Waitrose to extend refillables trial after initial success

The grocer launched the trial at its Botley Road shop in Oxford in June this year, taking more than 200 products out of their packaging to “test how customers might be prepared to shop differently” with the aim of reducing plastic usage.

The trial, which was due to finish on August 18, has since been extended in Oxford and will also be rolled out to three new stores in Cheltenham, Abingdon and Wallingford over the course of the remainder of the year.

Waitrose said more than 7,000 customers responded to the trial in Oxford, and the findings “give the supermarket confidence that the concept can be a success elsewhere”.

The three new shops will have dedicated refillable zones – with dispensers for dried products, frozen ‘pick and mix’, coffee, wine and beers as well as laundry detergents and washing-up liquids. There will also be a range of loosely packed fruit and vegetables.

However, some aspects of the original trial, including the ‘Veg kitchen’, will not be continued in Oxford or rolled out to any of the new stores due to unpopularity with customers.

Head of corporate social responsibility at Waitrose Tor Harris said: “The reaction to Waitrose Unpacked has been incredible with the invaluable feedback from thousands of customers giving us the confidence that they are prepared to change how they shop with us.

“We are keen to take the Unpacked concept forward and these additional tests will help us achieve this as well as understand its commercial viability. Through working with our customers and suppliers we will continue to learn and develop ideas which have the potential to be rolled out more widely.”