Sainsbury's has announced a significant change to its home delivery service, increasing the minimum spend for free delivery from £40 to £50. The move, effective from 7 April, has sparked outrage among customers, particularly pensioners and those living alone.
Customers with a Delivery Pass, which costs £7.50 per month, previously avoided delivery fees on orders of £40 or more. Under the new rules, orders under £50 will incur a £7.50 charge, up from £7. Shoppers without a pass who spend over £50 still pay a delivery fee of between £1 and £5.50.
Many customers took to social media to express their frustration. One user said: 'Delivery Pass minimum spend per delivery is £50 from April 26, now for OAPs and anybody incapacitated that's their complete weekly pension gone on food.' Another commented: 'Must admit when I got the email I immediately thought of pensioners, and all the people who need that delivery as a lifeline.'
A Sainsbury's spokesperson defended the change, stating: 'The spend needed to qualify for standard delivery had remained unchanged for well over a decade, and after a recent review, it will increase next month from £40 to £50 to reflect the costs for our business in providing this service.' The spokesperson added that the vast majority of customers already spend over the new threshold.
