Waitrose opens first new supermarket in eight years in north London

Waitrose has launched its first new supermarket in eight years, opening a store in Cricklewood, north London, as part of a £1bn investment plan. The store opened on Thursday, with another location set to follow next month in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester.

In addition to the new supermarkets, Waitrose plans to open four smaller stores next year. These include:

• A supermarket in Oakham, Rutland
• Three convenience stores in Bedminster (Bristol), Chalk Farm (London), and Springstead Village (Cambridge)

The company aims to open up to four large supermarkets and 100 convenience stores over the next five years. It also plans to refurbish several existing outlets, introducing features such as meat, fish, and sushi counters, on-site bakeries, and fine wine sections.

Tina Mitchell, the retail director at Waitrose, stated, "Our supermarkets provide the ultimate showcase for everything that sets Waitrose apart – from our unmatched quality and industry-leading welfare standards to the expert service of our partners."