Waitrose plans further store openings

UK: Waitrose plans to open 14 shops across the UK from spring this year, on top of two shops already opened this month.

In addition to the shops which have already opened this month in Egham and Walbrook, the retailer says it will open seven new supermarkets and seven convenience stores, adding almost 230,000ft² of retail space to its estate. It also says it is relocating one supermarket and carrying out two major extensions to existing branches.

The new supermarkets include Wollaton (Nottinghamshire) Milngavie (East Dumbartonshire), Bagshot (Surrey), Oxford, King’s Cross, Basingstoke (Hampshire) and Guildford (Surrey).

Waitrose Horsham will be relocated, doubling the size of the current supermarket, and the branches in Saffron Walden and Bayswater will both undergo major redevelopments.

It also plans to add a new little Waitrose in Heathfield (East Sussex) and a further six convenience shops in new locations in the south east.

On March 3, Waitrose will open a new purpose-built e-commerce grocery depot in Coulsdon, South London. At over 80,000ft2, it is double the capacity of its current dotcom fulfilment facility in Acton. 

Waitrose currently has 336 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 60 convenience branches and another 29 shops at Welcome Break locations.