Waitrose has started talking with regional food groups about introducing local sourcing to the 19 stores it has purchased from Morrisons after the Safeway takeover.
A spokeswoman said that Waitrose has the capacity to tailor its assortment in each store to the needs of the community and, with the chain moving into new areas such as the north of England and Wales, would be looking at ways of doing so within the new stores.
As part of this strategy Waitrose buyers have been working with the regional groups such as Deliciously Yorkshire to source local products that would add value to the new branches, she said.
The spokeswoman also said that Waitrose was delighted with the performance of the new stores and that sales were better than had been expected. “Customer feedback has been extremely positive,” she added.
Waitrose opened the 10th of the converted stores yesterday in Barry, South Wales.