Waitrose: will new Little Waitrose supermarket convenience stores open near me, Finchley Road upgrade - news

• Waitrose plans to open up to 100 new Little Waitrose convenience stores over the next five years
• It will mark the first new store openings for the premium grocery chain in six years
• A £1 billion investment will fund the launch of new stores and upgrades to 150 existing locations
• The first new store will open in Hampton Hill, London, later this year, with another in the capital early next year
• The existing Finchley Road store in London will test new services, including a delivery rider pick-up hatch for after-hours collections

A major supermarket has announced plans to open up to 100 stores over the next five years.

Waitrose will open new Little Waitrose convenience stores across England, Wales and Scotland, the first openings for the premium grocery retailer in six years.

A £1 billion investment in the supermarket chain will fund the launch of the new stores, as well as upgrades to 150 existing stores - nearly half of the chain's 329 locations.

While a full list of proposed locations has not yet been made public, the first new Waitrose store is scheduled to open in Hampton Hill, London, later this year, with another in the capital following early next year.

An existing store on London’s Finchley Road is also being transformed to test new services, products and concepts over the next year, which will help shape a new blueprint for the group’s stores, which will be unveiled in 2025.

The Finchley Road store will be the first to feature a hatch where food delivery riders, such as those from Deliveroo and Uber Eats, can pick up orders outside of regular hours.

James Bailey, executive director of Waitrose, said the “groundwork we have undertaken behind the scenes in recent years” allows the company to move forward with opening new stores and “ensuring our existing ones are providing great shopping experiences that match the quality of our products.”

Bailey added that new in-store concepts will be tested and gradually introduced nationwide “as we continue to work towards the Waitrose of the future.”

Investment will be directed towards innovations like chilled departments for wine and beer, a dry-aged beef cabinet and a dedicated parmesan area in stores.

There will also be a focus on expanding partnerships with other vendors, including Crosstown doughnuts and Hot Wok meals from Sushi Daily.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on Waitrose’s expansion plans! How do you feel about the upcoming store openings and new in-store innovations? Share your opinions and let us know what you’re most excited about in the comments section.