Waitrose is to open up to 100 new convenience stores over the next five years as part of a £1 billion overhaul.
The high end supermarket said the first new Waitrose store in six years will open in Hampton Hill in south west London later this year with a second following at an unnamed London location early in 2025.
The John Lewis Partnership owned chain is also planning a major overhaul of its existing store portfolio with the John Barnes shop in Finchley Road, being used to test new concepts. In total around 150 existing stores, almost half the estate, will get an upgrade.
Enhancements under consideration include upgrades to meat and fish counters “at a time when many food retailers are removing theirs”; entirely chilled departments for white wine, champagne, rose and beer; more space for premium local top sellers such as dry aged beef, more third party partnerships with brands such as Crosstown doughnuts, and Sushi Daily; and more dedicated space for on demand grocery orders.
James Bailey, executive director for Waitrose, said: “The transformation of our Finchley Road store marks the next evolution of our journey to create a great shopping experience for our customers, underpinned by a high-quality product offering tailored to the local area, and the quality service we are synonymous with.
“In designing the store, we have taken time to understand how our customers like to shop, and used this knowledge to introduce new concepts that will be tested and rolled out nationally as we continue to work towards the Waitrose of the future.”
