Waitrose is offering shoppers the choice to opt out of receiving promotional content relating to Mother’s Day.
The initiative aims to be sensitive to the feelings of customers who have had a parent pass away, have been estranged from or have a difficult relationship with their parent for any reason.
The upmarket retailer – which recently announced a further raft of price cuts – has offered the option of opting out of Mother’s Day promotional content for the past two years, along with a host of other supermarkets.
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An email was sent out to Waitrose subscribers on Sunday (19 February), a month before Mother’s Day, giving them the choice.
The email reads: “We understand that Mother’s Day can be an emotional time and we want to make sure we’re not talking to you about anything that may be upsetting.
“So if you’d prefer not to receive these emails this year, just let us know below.
“Don’t worry, you’ll still receive our other emails as usual, full of the latest news, food and recipe inspiration.”
A Waitrose spokesperson commented on the email, saying: “While Mother’s day is a celebratory time for many of our customers, we know it can be painful for others, who have appreciated the chance to opt out of marketing.”
Card and gift companies such as Moonpig have been offering the opt-out option for some time, recognising it as a “difficult time for many people”, while last year, Morrisons unveiled a new ‘Pocket Money Menu’ in all cafés to allow kids to treat their mums for the special occasion.
Waitrose recently defended itself against the accusation of having “tone deaf” notices to encourage shoppers to buy and donate to instore food bank collection points.
