Customers slam stingy 1p Valentine’s wine discount

Morrisons shoppers raised a collective eyebrow at the store’s “ridiculous” drinks promotion that turns out to give just 1p off a wine’s usual bottle price.

Eagle-eyed Morrisons shoppers noticed that a Valentine’s Day wine promotion in store wasn’t quite what it was cracked up to be. The deal, which was flagged up with yellow discount stickers on the shelf, was for Morrisons The Best Pinot Grigio Rosé and brought the retail price of the wine down to £6.99 from £7, representing a meagre one penny fall in price.

The promotion was launched in time for the most romantic day of the year, with shoppers making a beeline for the pink wine, hoping to grab a bargain for 14 February, only to be disappointed when they spotted the wine’s original price.

After clocking the deal, one surprised Morrisons customer in Co. Durham said: “I didn’t buy it out of principle. It seems ridiculous that they would go to all the trouble of getting the money-off signs printed and put up in stores but offer the customer a saving as little as that! Even if it was 10p off a bottle it would be something but one pence is just an insult really.”

Another shopper said: “I know times are hard for everyone at the moment and we all love a bargain but really, I don’t think 1p is going to make a massive difference to anyone at all.”

Morrisons has blamed the bungled promotion on a “system error” and have assured customers it won’t happen again.

“This is a system error that generates the [price] cross out and it’s a fix we’re trying to put into the system to avoid in future,” said a spokesperson for the supermarket chain.

In 2016, Morrisons was shortlisted for Drinks Buying Team of the Year at the Drinks Retailing Awards, and said at the time that “a major focus was developing simple in-store communication with tasting notes, clear pricing and responsible drinking messages across all categories.”

In 2019, Morrisons won Multiple Wine Retailer of the Year in the same awards.

The 12.5% ABV Pinot Grigio Rosé is described by Morrisons as giving “a mouthful of fresh cranberry and raspberry flavours topped off with a bouquet of fresh summer flowers” and its recommended pairing is a fragrant Thai curry, crispy duck pancakes or cooked ham.

“This is one that’s fine for vegetarians and vegans, which is great, as everyone should be able to enjoy a glass of this pinky perfection,” reads the retailer’s product description.