Waitrose will unveil its new store concept as it reopens its revamped North London John Barnes store next week.
The upmarket grocer said the store on Finchley Road, in the former John Barnes department store, opens on 21 August and will have a number of new and refreshed features including a fully updated refrigeration system, a new look and feel bakery, and the first fully chilled beer, wine and spirits department.
It will also feature a dedicated made-in-branch baguette station, a hot chicken and salad counter, as well as a dedicated parmesan bay.
Waitrose said the John Barnes store will also be the first to boast a dedicated hot wok counter that will serve ready-to-go meals to customers.
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The supermarket chain said the store will act as a trail for its new concepts and follows on from the opening of its Sudbury store in Suffolk, which has been testing a new store format since earlier this year.
It forms part of a £1bn investment from the John Lewis Partnership-owned business to refurbish 80 of its existing supermarkets.
To celebrate the opening, Waitrose has several in-store brand activations, with doughnut brand Crosstown giving out samples of Waitrose exclusive flavours including Matcha and White Chocolate filled doughnuts and Dark Chocolate Truffle filled doughnuts.
Daily Dose, Dash Water and Cadbury’s will also be there on opening day handing out complimentary samples.
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