Door drops delivered for Waitrose.com

287% over new acquisitions target
6.2:1 ROI

Background

Waitrose set a clear, operationally grounded objective: "Increase new Waitrose.com customers without cannibalising in-store sales".

They needed to disrupt the status quo by driving online acquisition whilst protecting physical store performance. To achieve this, a carefully targeted door drop campaign was introduced.

Solution

A data-driven, precision-targeted door drop strategy was engineered by Whistl and Go Inspire.

  • Customer profiling: analysis of Waitrose’s postcode-level customer and transactional data helped to establish and understand who the most valuable online customers were. 
  • Audience modelling: using Acorn segmentation, detailed profiles were built at both national and regional levels. These were benchmarked against competitor audiences to identify gaps and opportunities. 
  • Predictive targeting: every UK postcode sector was then scored based on its alignment with the ideal Waitrose.com customer profile. This created a decile model; with Decile 1 being the most likely to convert and Decile 10 the least.   
A doormat

Waitrose protected store footfall by the creation of ‘no-drop zones’: doughnut-shaped buffers around physical stores.

Control postcode groups, targeting of higher-propensity areas only and vouchers that were single-use and online-only, preventing misuse and protecting in-store revenue, completed the strategy.

The creative approach was distinctive yet simple: a die-cut Waitrose delivery van paired with three time-sensitive vouchers worth £40 in total.

Every element was tested for clarity and impact to encourage repeat purchases and build lasting habits.

Results

The campaign delivered impressive results:

  • 287% above customer recruitment target
  • Door drop ROI of 6.21:1
  • The created averaged 32-day stay in-home
  • Strong repeat customer spend indicating long-term behaviour change.

This was more than a campaign. It was a data-driven, creatively executed growth strategy that delivered real commercial impact without compromising the brand's physical presence.
 

Source: DMA Awards 2025 - Gold. Unaddressed Print and Door Drop.