Waitrose to open 100 new shops as it invests £1bn in revamp
The new shops will be the first openings in six years for the upmarket grocery group
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Waitrose has revealed plans to open up to 100 convenience shops over the next five years as part of a £1 billion investment in its chain of supermarkets.
The new shops across England, Wales and Scotland will be the first openings in six years for the upmarket grocery group.
The £1 billion will be spent on launching the new stores, building on the Little Waitrose convenience model, and improving 150 existing ones, almost half the 329-strong chain.
It is also transforming a shop in London’s Finchley Road to trial new services, products and concepts over the next year.
This will help the group draw up a blueprint for all its shops which will be shared in 2025.
James Bailey, executive director of Waitrose, said the “groundwork we have undertaken behind the scenes in recent years” means the company can now steam ahead with opening new shops and “ensuring our existing ones are providing great shopping experiences that match the quality of our products”.
He added that new in-store concepts will be tested and rolled out nationally “as we continue to work towards the Waitrose of the future”.
The first new Waitrose store is set to be in Hampton Hill, London, later this year, followed by another in the capital early next year.
Investment will focus on innovations such as chilled departments for wine and beer, and a dry aged beef cabinet and dedicated parmesan section in shops.
It will also focus on expanding collaborations with other sellers including Crosstown doughnuts and Hot Wok meals provided by Sushi Daily.
The Finchley Road shop will be the first to feature a hatch where food delivery riders, like Deliveroo and Uber Eats, can make collections outside the store’s opening hours.