Welbee’s doubles down on Christmas cheer with ambitious plans for 2026

As Welbee’s wraps up 2025, the Christmas period once again stands as a defining moment for Malta’s homegrown supermarket chain. For the brand, the festive season is more than a peak retail window, it is a strategic opportunity to deepen loyalty, elevate customer experience, and introduce new shoppers to what makes Welbee’s distinct.

Double cashback leads Welbee’s Christmas strategy

This year, Welbee’s has once again launched its popular Double Cashback offer, reinforcing its reputation as the market’s most generous Christmas promotion. Welbee’s remains the only supermarket offering double cashback across all value tiers including €50, €100, €150, €200 and every additional €100 spent.

“Our focus is always on giving back to our customers in the most meaningful way,” says Miguel Borg, Head of Marketing at Retail Marketing Ltd. “In a highly competitive market, it is essential for us to remain consistently strong on value. Doubling cashback across all spends ensures customers finish the year rewarded and begin the next with savings in hand.”

Christmas has long been the busiest period for retail, but for Welbee’s it also serves as a gateway to long-term engagement. It is a chance for new shoppers to experience the supermarket’s defining characteristics, a calm and organised shopping environment, a diverse and well-curated product selection, and meaningful value through initiatives such as Double Cashback. “It is an opportunity to show that a pleasant in-store experience and strong rewards can genuinely go hand in hand,” Mr Borg notes.

A people-first service experience

Value at Welbee’s extends beyond promotional mechanics. The brand’s competitive strength lies in its people and in the consistency of its in-store experience.

“Every member of our team, from our cashiers to our fresh counters, plays a crucial role in creating a pleasant and tranquil shopping experience,” Mr Borg explains.

Welbee’s invests significantly in staff development, including Maltese language training for foreign workers, soft skills programmes and customer experience training tailored to the retail environment.

“With a diverse workforce, these initiatives help ensure warm and efficient service at every touchpoint. Competitive prices are essential, but we never lose sight of the customer experience and treat it as equally important,” he adds.

A key driver of this consistency is a strategic staff mobility plan led jointly by the HR and Operations teams. Experienced managers have rotated across different outlets, ensuring each location benefits from strong leadership and operational expertise.

“This approach boosts performance where needed while giving managers new challenges and environments to grow in. It is a cycle that benefits both our people and our customers,” says Mr Borg.

Exclusive brands that strengthen the product range

Welbee’s commitment to a curated, high-quality offering is further reinforced by the work of its Importation and Commercial Department.

“Our stores offer a carefully selected product range, including a growing list of exclusive brands,” Mr Borg says. Welbee’s focuses on sourcing its own exclusive brands. This approach strengthens the supermarket’s ability to offer a wide range of choices at competitive prices and delivers added value, particularly when combined with initiatives such as Double Cashback.

Festive initiatives that elevate the customer journey

To complement its core value proposition, Welbee’s has released a series of festive initiatives designed to add excitement and convenience to holiday shopping. These include giveaways such as the Lindt promotion offering customers the chance to win two Piaggio One electric scooters and a draw for front row seats to the MADC Christmas Panto.

Customers can also benefit from a flexible Festive Platter Catalogue that allows them to set their own budgets and customise platters for any size of gathering. Additionally, Welbee’s has launched a Gifting Hamper Collection featuring ready-made hampers and a new feature on their website Welbees.mt enabling the option to build your own custom hamper. The Milied Flimkien charity hamper was also introduced this year, contributing one euro per sale to Id-Dar tal-Providenza, while shoppers spending €50 or more can enjoy 15 percent off eCabs rides to support safe celebrations.

A multi-channel creative campaign designed for impact

Welbee’s Christmas campaign is the company’s most significant annual initiative and requires months of preparation and one of its largest yearly marketing investments.

“This year’s campaign demanded extensive creative work,” Mr Borg explains. A large-scale photoshoot and the adoption of a twins concept visually reinforce the Double Cashback message across all platforms. The theme extends into a professionally produced TV advert featuring a memorable jingle designed to strengthen recall.

The campaign spans billboards, social media, targeted digital advertising, TV, radio, and comprehensive in-store visuals. “Our campaign is truly a cross-department effort,” Mr Borg says, crediting, Operations, Data, IT, Commercial, Operations, Imports, Marketing, Finance and HR.

“That collective commitment across all heads of department and their teams, together with the dedication of our shop managers and their floor teams, ensures consistency from well-stocked shelves to delivering the best service possible to our customers, supported by the hard work of the staff members across all our 10 supermarkets and our online department,” Mr Borg asserts.

Digital innovation and loyalty growth

Looking toward 2026, digital transformation remains a major priority. Welbee’s continues to invest in emerging technologies and AI-driven tools to strengthen its e-commerce capabilities and enhance the customer journey.

Recent upgrades to the Welbee’s loyalty app include features such as shared shopping lists and Apple Wallet and Google Wallet integration. Many more enhancements are already in the pipeline, as the team continues to study leading international retail apps to bring similar innovations to the local market. Meanwhile, the loyalty ecosystem continues to expand, with 15 new partner brands joining this year and now accepting Welbee’s points.

A brand built on value, service and community

CSR remains a central pillar of Welbee’s philosophy. Eleven NGOs currently benefit from a loyalty point donation scheme, and during initiatives such as Pink October and Movember the company supplements customer contributions with its own support through product donations and financial assistance.

Mr Borg explains that this commitment extends well beyond the loyalty scheme. Welbee’s actively supports many other NGOs and community groups throughout the year, offering products and assistance wherever needed. As a local brand, he notes, giving back to the community is essential and a core part of the company’s ethos.

With its largest campaign of the year now live and ambitious plans ahead, Welbee’s enters the new year with confidence and forward momentum.