Waitrose has this week announced it is to put customer choice at the heart of its expansion plans, with a “highly localised, multi-format store strategy matching size, layout and ranging directly to regional demand,” it said.
Supported by a £1bn investment plan spanning its shops, online offer and partnerships across on-demand grocery and travel retail, Waitrose said it’s giving customers more flexibility in “how, when, and where they shop.”
Marking the latest milestone in its estate strategy, Waitrose introduced its ‘neighbourhood’ concept at its brand new shop in Chelmer Village in Essex.
Bridging the gap between a convenience store and a full-line supermarket, the format “combines accessibility with the breadth, quality and inspiration customers expect from Waitrose,” it said.
Designed for busy, suburban neighbourhoods where Waitrose is already popular, the 7,000 sq.ft. or ‘mid-size stores’ offer a fast, easy shopping experience with an intuitive layout. Stocking more than 6,500 products, they fulfil a variety of customer needs, the grocer said, from a fresh top-up shop to tonight’s dinner and discovering something new - helping establish a trip to Waitrose as part of the weekly routine.
The £1bn investment programme includes 28 refurbishments and highly targeted expansion across multiple formats this year alone. Alongside two new full size supermarkets in Manchester and Cricklewood, a new convenience store is due in Ascot in August, alongside a scaling up of the brad’s presence in travel hubs such as Heathrow, Shell forecourts and Welcome Break sites.
Waitrose will also open its first distribution centre in Avonmouth, South West England, early next year, it said.
Waitrose is also actively seeking new leasehold and freehold opportunities across accessible, high-footfall locations in towns, suburbs and city centres. It said it welcomes proposals for locations that would “benefit from its high-quality products, industry-leading welfare standards, expert service and commitment to local communities.”
Tina Mitchell, retail director, said: “Our growth is shaped by adapting to how our customers live and shop. Today’s consumers no longer rely on a single weekly trip to the supermarket; grocery shopping is an omnichannel experience.
“Backed by our multi-year £1 billion investment plan, our ambition is to be wherever our customers want us. We are looking for high-footfall, ‘right size, right location’ sites nationwide to make it easier than ever for people to experience our uncompromising standards, quality and expert Partner service.”
Finally, Waitrose is also to invest in its entire estate of 320 stores as part of a multi-year programme. This year alone, it is refurbishing 28 stores, having completed 23 last year.
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