Waitrose opened an 18,000-square-foot supermarket in Cricklewood on Oct. 22 as part of its £1 billion investment program.
The newly developed, full-line supermarket is at 194–196 Cricklewood Broadway in north London. Waitrose announced the site in May and said then that it expected an autumn opening. A company recruitment listing later specified Oct. 22. The Guardian reported that Cricklewood would be Waitrose’s first new supermarket in eight years.
The opening is part of a multiyear program by Waitrose parent John Lewis Partnership. In a July update, the partnership said the investment covers shops, its online offer and partnerships. It also said store size and product range would be tailored to local demand. “These two new shops are an important step in our plans to bring Waitrose to more customers,” Waitrose retail director Tina Mitchell said in May.
A second supermarket, measuring 15,000 square feet, is scheduled to open in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, on Nov. 12, according to a Waitrose recruitment listing. The site was operating as an Asda before a planned full refit. Waitrose said employees there would become Waitrose Partners and that it would recruit for additional roles; it did not give a number for those positions.
The expansion comes as Waitrose reported higher sales and lower adjusted operating profit. Sales increased 4% to £4.3 billion in the 26 weeks ended Aug. 1. Adjusted operating profit was £103 million, down £7 million from the same period a year earlier.
The John Lewis Partnership cited higher operating costs during summer heatwaves, along with investment in loyalty and lower prices. The next scheduled opening in the company’s plans is the Hale Barns store on Nov. 12.
