Waitrose is set to open 100 convenience stores over the next three years as part of a £1bn investment in new stores and refurbishments.
Its first new shop in six years is set to open in Hampton Hill, west London this year and it will also refurbish 150 existing stores, almost half of its estate, over the next three years.
The premium grocer will open its revamped John Barnes store in Finchley Road, north London today (21 August), which will test new concepts, services and product offerings over the next year, alongside its Sudbury store in Suffolk and soon-to-be-relaunched Maidenhead shop. It will launch a new blueprint for Waitrose stores next year in the wake of these trials.
Waitrose will focus on upgrading service counters, giving its wine selection greater prominence, with its Finchley Road store the first to feature an entirely chilled department for white wine, champagne, rose and beer, and bringing more third-party partners into stores, such as its new tie-up with Crosstown doughnuts.
It will also give more space for on-demand grocery and greater flexibility to respond to local demand, with Finchley Road housing a dedicated parmesan section and a second dry aged beef cabinet.
Waitrose executive director James Bailey said: “Waitrose will always offer fantastic food, but the groundwork we have undertaken behind the scenes in recent years means we can now focus on growth through new shops and ensuring our existing ones are providing great shopping experiences that match the quality of our products.
“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.”
Nish Kankiwala, the chief executive of Waitrose owner the John Lewis Partnership, said that its investment in the grocer’s stores were “already yielding strong results”.
“As our retail driven plan continues to gain traction, our growing number of shoppers and increasing customer satisfaction scores are clear indicators of its success.
“This is a result of our unrelenting focus on improving the customer experience of our retail businesses, taking the love that exists for both brands and making sure customers are rewarded with better shops, the highest quality products, and the best service.”
The investment follows Waitrose’s recent recovery in market share. Data from Kantar show that in the three months to 4 August, Waitrose recorded its strongest growth since November 2023.
It is the first time the retailer has experienced an increase in its market share since January 2022 and comes after it made several investments into strengthening its food offer, including relaunching its premium No1 range.
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