Waitrose plans 100 new convenience shops as it invests £1bn in chain revamp

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.