A UK supermarket is to open dozens of new types of store in a bid to appeal to more shoppers.
Waitrose is rolling out new “neighbourhood” style supermarkets around the UK as part of a £1billion investment plan.
Each new store will be around 7,000 square feet, sitting between its regular supermarkets and smaller Little Waitrose convenience stores in size.
The stores will stock around 6,500 products and provide about 50 parking spaces.
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They will focus on fresh food, with expanded bakery and cooking ranges compared to the retailer’s smaller stores.
Waitrose has already opened around 20 of these neighbourhood shops, with the latest launching at Chelmer Village Retail Park in Essex.
Additional locations include Oxted and Leatherhead in Surrey.
Tina Mitchell, Waitrose Retail Director, said: “As the ‘Home of Food Lovers,’ our growth is shaped by adapting to how our customers live and shop.
Waitrose has already opened around 20 of these neighbourhood shops (Image: Getty Images)
“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.”
The expansion is part of Waitrose’s battle to compete with M&S, which has over 1,000 stores around the UK.
Waitrose currently has around 320 stores in Britain.
Waitrose launches price-cutting campaign on more than 160 products
Earlier this month, the supermarket launched a £20 million price-cutting campaign, slashing prices of over 160 own-brand products.
Nearly half of the discounted products are from the Essential Waitrose range.
Nathan Ansell, customer director at Waitrose, said: “We know our customers are still watching every penny they spend, but they shouldn’t have to compromise on quality.
“This latest investment in lowering prices on everyday essentials means customers can enjoy the quality they expect from Waitrose at even better value.”
Would you shop at a ‘neighbourhood-style’ Waitrose shop? Let us know in the comments.
