The shares that bag you secret shareholder perks: From discounts on clothes, wine and phone bills to a Caribbean cruise

Fancy a cut-price cruise around the Caribbean or a snow-bedecked ski trip in Switzerland? Such luxuries may seem a distant dream when in the gloom of February in Britain but investing in engineering group Renishaw could bring these holidays closer to reality.

I tipped the shares in this Cotswold-based group in my Midas column on February 16 because its shares look under-valued. Cut-price travel is an added perk for shareholders.

Founded in 1973, Renishaw makes complex kit used in the manufacture of products from smart phones to dental crowns to trains and planes.

The group began expanding internationally in the early 1980s. It set up a subsidiary to handle business trips and, in 1986, opened Wotton Travel to the public.

An independent travel agent, Wotton offers bespoke and package holidays, from trekking in the Himalayas to a fortnight on the Costa Brava. With a team of experts, Wotton prides itself on tailored advice, top service and keen pricing. All good news for shareholders in Renishaw, who are eligible for discounts of around 5 per cent, a decent incentive when holidaymakers can spend upwards of £10,000 on a trip for two.

That apart, Renishaw has proved its mettle over decades. The group’s tools allow manufacturers to measure and construct products with infinitesimal accuracy and demand is high across the industrial sector. Shares have halved the past five years, hit by concerns about global economic conditions. However, the business is fundamentally sound, long-term prospects are solid and the stock has added appeal when Wotton’s travel perk is thrown in.

Renishaw is not alone. Shareholder perks feature across the market as companies strive to reward investors not just with dividends but with deals and discounts on their wares. Don’t buy shares simply on the basis of perks offered. They can be an added bonus but shouldn’t be your main reason for investing.

Eat, drink and be merry

Pubs and breweries are among the most generous with their offers. At Chapel Down, a single share offers benefits from free tastings to discounts on still and sparkling wine, spirits and early access to new vintages. Holders of 2,000 or more shares qualify for additional perks such as an annual guided tour voucher for the group’s vineyard restaurant in sunny Kent. Those with more than 10,000 enjoy free standard delivery on their online orders as well.

Shareholders may feel they need all the cut-price cheer that is on offer. The stock has more than halved to 34p in the past six months, after outgoing chief executive Andrew Carter tried and failed to sell the business and admitted that results for 2024 would fall below expectations.

Now however, a new boss has been appointed – James Pennefather, who held the reins at Cumbria-based spirits group Lakes Distillery and led its £71million sale to sparkling wine specialist, Nyetimber. A new finance director is joining this year too so better times may lie ahead for Chapel Down and its shareholders.

Fuller, Smith & Turner, Adnams and Shepherd Neame all offer shareholders discounted food, drink and accommodation at their pubs. Benefits vary however. Fuller’s investors need to buy 1000 shares at a cost of around £5,300 to access the full suite of perks, Shepherd Neame offers discounts to anyone with 500 shares in their pocket while Adnams investors need to buy just one share. All three stocks have been hit hard by the UK’s economic woes in recent years but a January trading statement from Fuller’s was upbeat.

Brewer-in-chief Simon Emeny revealed that underlying sales rose almost 6 per cent in the 41 weeks to 11 January and were more than 10 per cent ahead over the five-week Christmas and New Year period. Who knew that the festive season lasted so long? Even if 2025 proves rather more sober, Emeny is confident of meeting full year expectations and managing the challenges imposed by government policies.

Mitchells & Butlers steward Phil Urban remains optimistic too. With bars and eateries including All Bar One, O’Neills and Harvester, the group enjoyed an increase in sales of more than 10 per cent over the festive season, including record revenues on Christmas Day itself.

Some happy punters may have been shareholders too, as the group offers 20 per cent discounts to investors with a single share. Pub chain Marston’s is less generous, providing investors with 30 per cent off food in some pubs if they buy 500 shares or more.

Both stocks have tumbled in price over the past five years – M&B to £2.29 and Marston’s to 42p – but they may face better times ahead. Marston’s boss Justin Platt recently expressed immense confidence about the future after exiting beer brewing last summer to focus on local pubs.

Take time out

Young’s boss Simon Dodd is optimistic about his business too, after snapping up high-end chain City Pub Group last year. Like rivals, Young’s shares have fallen foul of market sentiment, halving in value since pre-Covid days. But Dodd echoed his fellow publicans, saying Christmas trading had been extremely strong, with record sales on several key days. Investors can also take cheer from 20 per cent off a three-night stay at most of the group’s pubs with rooms.

Free breakfasts at Premier Inns and 10 per cent off meals at restaurants such as Beefeater, Brewers Fayre and Table Table are on offer for Whitbread investors with 64 shares or more.

Once a brewer, now the proud parent of Britain’s leading budget hotel chain, Whitbread has had a rough ride on the stock market of late.

The shares are down 20 per cent to £26.75 over the past year and sales in the last few months of 2024 were disappointing.

Chief executive Dominic Paul remains focused on long-term growth however, with an ambitious programme to increase the number of Premier Inns in Britain and double the German estate by 2030.

Harsh economic conditions and shaky consumer confidence are unhelpful but Paul is determined to beat rivals and emerge a winner from today’s travails.

Investors not tempted by the prospect of cut-price booze and travel could take refuge in a good book. For just one share, Bloomsbury investors can secure a discount of 35 per cent on the publisher’s entire range, from Harry Potter to Sarah J. Maas and from River Cottage culinary tips to Gillian Anderson’s sexual fantasy best-seller Want.

Frequently written off as yesterday’s story, Bloomsbury has confounded sceptics, beating market expectations time and again and delivering a near tripling in the share price to £6.50 over the past five years.

The stock topped £7.50 in the autumn so it has fallen from its peak, but founder and chief executive Nigel Newton has a winning touch, making the shares an attractive long-term investment for the literary minded.

Fashion to go

Discounted clothing is on offer from struggling Mulberry and superstar Next.

The two firms occupy very different spaces on the high street, online and on the stock market.

Luxury brand Mulberry had a tumultuous 2024, falling into loss, raising fresh cash, rebutting a bid from Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group and appointing a new chief executive, high-end fashion veteran Andrea Baldo.

Shares have plummeted from £11.10 to hover around £1 in the past eight years but Baldo is taking steps to drive recovery.

Investors with 500 shares can secure in-store discounts of 20 per cent, no mean saving with handbags retailing at more than £1,000.

Next offers shareholders 25 per cent off one purchase a year if they own 100 shares or more. Bolstered by consistent outperformance, Next stock has more than doubled to more than £100 in recent years.

Long-standing boss Simon Wolfson recently said Christmas trading beat expectations, with profits to the end of January now likely to come in at more than £1billion, a 10 per cent increase over 2024.

The current stock price is still far from cheap but Next has proven its resilience time and again so the shares should continue to deliver results.

Saving money on monthly bills

Investors more concerned with bills and finance than frills and fripperies could take a look at Legal & General and Telecom Plus.

L&G offers cut-price life assurance and a £250 gift voucher on equity release mortgage products.

Telecom Plus provides discounted rates on phone and energy bills, although only investors with 1,500 shares in their back pocket are eligible. Both stocks have suffered of late but offer generous dividends: 9 per cent from L&G and 5.5 per cent from Telecom Plus.

Telecom Plus should benefit when times are hard and consumers strive to save money so the shares look attractive at around £17. Boss Stuart Burnett inspires confidence too, having worked with the business since 2019, before taking on the top job last summer. For older investors in search of income, L&G has obvious appeal, at £2.28. The stock has been hit by recent shenanigans in the bond market but this 180-year-old business should deliver long-term gains.

More perks please

Perks have long been offered to shareholders. However, the practice has declined and perhaps that is no surprise. With companies in sectors as varied as aerospace, alcohol and fashion accessories experiencing share price declines, it seems as if perks provide little encouragement for investors. That is a shame. These benefits allow companies to showcase their goods to investors and provide rewards beyond dividends and capital growth. Rachel Reeves’ disastrous Budget and anti-UK sentiment have hit businesses hard but perks can soften the blow. As investors look across the market for shares that might deliver gains as and when economic conditions improve, firms that offer benefits in kind are worth a closer look.