Here’s the latest I can provide based on recent reporting:
A UK press roundup on May 14–15, 2026 noted that Waitrose stores in several areas faced closures or service interruptions due to what was described as a “critical error,” with reports indicating nationwide disruption in some markets before later reopening in parts of the network. This suggests a broad IT-related outage rather than isolated incidents, affecting both online and in-store operations in the short term.[3]
Coverage around the same period indicates Waitrose acknowledged system-wide issues impacting deliveries and stock availability in affected locations, with subsequent steps or communications focusing on restoration of services and customer rebooking options where deliveries were impacted.[3]
For historical context, Waitrose has experienced multiple IT-related disruptions in the past, including online delivery cancellations and outages tied to system upgrades or IT glitches, though those events date from earlier years (2013–2023) and provide context for ongoing IT resilience challenges in the business.[1][4][5][6]
If you’d like, I can narrow to:
Would you like me to pull the most up-to-date local status for a specific Waitrose store or region (e.g., Manhattan area in NYC is outside Waitrose’s footprint; if you meant a UK location, specify a city), or focus on official statements and customer guidance from that outage? I can also summarize what customers experienced during the outage and typical remediation measures Waitrose has offered in past incidents.
Waitrose has apologised to its customers after an IT glitch let to thousands of online orders cancelled minutes before they were scheduled to arrive.
www.retailgazette.co.ukWaitrose is to pay compensation to customers after an IT problem forced the grocer to cancel 400 orders just days before Christmas.
www.retail-week.comWaitrose has confirmed its services are functioning "largely as normal" as Co-op, Booths and Naked Wines faced issues from the global IT outage.
www.grocerygazette.co.ukThe latest IT issue meant deliveries were not sent out or were sent with fewer items
www.thegrocer.co.ukWaitrose has apologised to its customers after an IT glitch had left shelves bare across many of its supermarkets over the Bank Holiday.
www.retailgazette.co.ukShelves were bare of fresh products including baked goods and fresh fruit and vegetables over the bank holiday weekend and as late as Tuesday evening.
www.independent.co.ukThe middle class won’t put up with a supermarket that cares more about ‘values’ than stocking its shelves
www.telegraph.co.ukIt's the latest in a series of IT struggles at the high-end grocer
www.thegrocer.co.ukWaitrose supermarkets across the UK are shut this morning due to a 'critical error'. Stores in Oxfordshire are affected.
ground.news