Waitrose plans 100 new store openings

Waitrose is ramping up investment in its store portfolio with plans to open as many as 100 convenience shops across the UK over the next five years. The new investment will see the John Lewis-owned supermarket chain inject £1bn into new stores and improvements to 150 existing shops over the next three years. The plans are part of a new blueprint for Waitrose stores, which will be revealed next year. James Bailey, executive director for Waitrose, said: “Waitrose will always offer fantastic food, but the groundwork we have undertaken behind the scenes in recent years means we can now focus on growth through new shops and ensuring our existing ones are providing great shopping experiences that match the quality of our products.”  Nish Kankiwala, chief executive of the John Lewis Partnership, added: “Our investment in our Waitrose store portfolio is already yielding strong results, with customers responding positively. As our retail driven plan continues to gain traction, our growing number of shoppers and increasing customer satisfaction scores are clear indicators of its success.” Photo by Jeff Blackler/Shutterstock