Waitrose opens its first full-line supermarket in eight years and lines up four more sites

Waitrose is opening supermarkets again. The John Lewis Partnership has opened a Waitrose store in Cricklewood, north-west London, which it describes as "the grocer's first full line supermarket opening in eight years". Rivals in premium grocery should take note of what comes next. The partnership has a second supermarket opening next month, four newly acquired sites and a new distribution centre on the way.

What has opened, and what follows

According to the partnership's announcement, Cricklewood is "a brand-new 18,000 sq ft 'Home of Food Lovers' store". The partnership says "The next Waitrose supermarket opening will be in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, this November."

Beyond those two, the partnership has acquired four sites. It says "Joining the two new supermarkets will be a new neighbourhood store in Oakham (Rutland)", alongside "three new convenience stores in Bedminster (Bristol), Chalk Farm (London) and Springstead Village (Cambridge)", "which will open from 2027". A convenience store in Ascot and "a 30,000 sq ft shop in Brabazon (Bristol)" are also in development.

Three formats, one estate

The more useful detail for retail leaders is that Waitrose is growing through three formats rather than one. The announcement sets out the roles: "Small convenience stores in busy urban areas focus on fresh top-up items and quick, on-the-go purchases", while "Mid-size 'neighbourhood' stores in suburban areas carry over 6,500 products." Larger supermarkets sit above those.

Supply is being built to match. The partnership says "Waitrose will open its first South West distribution centre in Avonmouth early next year." Combined with the planned Bedminster and Brabazon stores, that suggests Bristol and the surrounding area are an early focus, although the announcement does not say so directly.

The openings form part of "Waitrose's £1 billion multi-year investment plan", and the partnership notes that "Waitrose's investment programme includes 29 store refurbishments this year alone." Much of the money, in other words, goes into the existing estate as well as new space.

Tina Mitchell, Waitrose Retail Director, said the Cricklewood opening "marks an important step in bringing Waitrose closer to more communities."

What the announcement does not show

This is a company announcement. It sets out the plan, not the result. The partnership gives no sales expectations, payback period or target store count for the new formats, and it does not explain the eight-year gap. Eight new or planned stores is a modest number for a national grocer, and 29 refurbishments in one year are a bigger investment in the stores Waitrose already has.

The real test is whether the smaller formats can earn their place in high-rent urban and suburban locations, and whether Cricklewood and Hale Barns trade well enough to justify more full-line openings. Watch the partnership's next set of results for store-level performance, not just a store count.

The opening also comes with jobs. The partnership says "The team includes 69 new Partners who join 53 experienced team members as co-owners in the John Lewis Partnership."