Waitrose draws up plans to open 300 small stores
UPMARKET grocer Waitrose yesterday unveiled plans to take a bigger share of the convenience store market, saying it could open up to 300 smaller format stores, stepping up its challenge to top end rival Marks & Spencer .
Waitrose, part of the employee-owned John Lewis Partnership, also said it would open more stores in motorway service stations.
Managing Director Mark Price said: “It’s about democratising access to Waitrose,” adding the chain had identified around 6.5m potential customers currently unable to easily access one of its stores.
The grocer is also in talks with Boots, which could see the pair selling their products in each other’s stores. Price said that showcasing Waitrose lines across Boots stores had “the potential to do a huge amount”.
Boots said yesterday it will rebrand the 13 pharmacies it runs within Waitrose stores under its own logo.