Waitrose commits to longer loo roll in essential range after customers rebel against ‘Subrinkflation’

Waitrose has reversed its decision to reduce its loo roll after a customer revolt.

Hundreds of shoppers reacted with dismay in June after the Telegraph initially revealed that the supermarket had reduced the number of sheets on a roll of essential Waitrose bath tissue from 240 to 190.

The shorter rolls were also made with material that customers claimed was thinner. Although the price of toilet paper was reduced from £5 to £4, Waitrose’s website was bombarded with more than 500 one-star reviews.

Among the one-star reviews was one that said, “Terrible change to a long-time favorite.”

Another unhappy customer added: “Cheap replacement for a previous quality product.”

And a third wrote: ‘Completely different product now.’

In a similar vein, a fourth added: ‘I loved the old ones! The new ones are not a good value.

And a fifth noted: “The product changed for the worse.”

The supermarket also came under fire on social media, with one customer hitting out at the store after noticing the brand’s toilet rolls had been reduced.

Taking to Tiktok last December, novelist Alex Rushton from Walton-on-Thames shared images of the supermarket’s nine-pack of ‘ultra soft bath tissue’ from six months ago next to a recently purchased one.

“The rolls on the left I bought six months ago, the ones on the right yesterday,” Alex wrote on Tiktok.

Outraged customers took to the comments section to share their thoughts, with some alleging that the quality of the rolls is also different.

One said: ‘OMG yes my mum used to buy them all the time and has recently stopped. The quality is different too!

“I received a refund and will not buy them again as the paper quality is also inferior,” added a second

Now, six months after the original Furore, the store, owned by the John Lewis group, said it has listened to its customers’ feedback and has decided to reintroduce the ‘much-loved’ old item at its original price.

According to a statement sent to Femail from Waitrose: ‘To help offer customers lower prices, the supermarket changed the formula of its essential toilet rolls in June, bringing the size in line with competitors. 100 percent of the cost savings were passed on to customers, with the shelf price dropping by around 20 percent.

He added: ‘However, following feedback, Waitrose is reintroducing the old style rolls, which are set to return to shelves from the end of January. The rolls will use the much-loved original formula and will be on sale for their original price, but under the Waitrose and Partners brand.

‘The rolls will be available in packs of nine for £5.00, working out at just 56p per roll. The new lines support in-store signage to alert customers of their return as they will feature new packaging.’

The updated Essential Toilet Rolls remain on sale, and will be priced at 39p per roll (£9.25 for a pack of 24).

It comes when the chain fights to recover the middle classes.

Rivals Marks and Spencer’s outsold the chain for the first time in its history in the four weeks to November 3, according to data compiled by Kantar.

The reintroduction of its LOO Roll comes in the same week it brought free coffee to members of the loyalty scheme, even if they haven’t bought anything in the supermarket.

The freebie was introduced in 2013, but in recent years customers have had to make a purchase to access the benefit.

But this week, Mywaitrose members were told on January 27 that they could get one complimentary hot drink a day with no purchase required as long as they bring a reusable cup.

Jack Hammersley, a Waitrose shopper, said: ‘With the rising cost of living, we know there is a demand for a lower priced product, but I will admit the response to the changes left us reeling.

‘We’re grateful for everyone’s feedback – it was heard loud and clear and our original rolls are back on the shelves. Same price, same formula, slightly fancier packaging. Christopher Baglee, who first wrote to the Telegraph in June, said he was delighted with the change.

‘I applaud Waitrose management for keeping their customers in mind…

“Too often, consumer product manufacturers operate a flation reduction policy and ignore their customers’ discomfort, hoping they will get used to it.”