Waitrose has opened its first new store of 2025, as it kicks on with its convenience expansion plans.
The Little Waitrose opened in Southwick, West Sussex this week, a location revealed by The Grocer in March. It is the second new store opened by Waitrose since it launched its renewed £600m store investment plan in August and the first company-run store opened outside of London in over six years.
The new 3,000 sq ft, town centre site will offer a tailored range of Waitrose’s own-label products from its No.1, Duchy Organic and Essential Waitrose ranges, across fresh, chilled, ambient and bakery.
A significant amount of space is also dedicated to the Waitrose £5 meal deal and dine-in meals for tonight. It will also stock a range of booze, and an “expanded range” of low & no-alcohol drinks.
On-demand delivery from Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat will also be available from the shop.
“We’re truly delighted to open our doors and show customers around our brand-new shop which will help shape the blueprint for future Waitrose convenience shops,” said new store manager Lauren Eastman, whose role is one of 22 new jobs created by the store.
“We hope they’ll love our quality products as much as we do. My team and I are ready to give them the great service Waitrose is renowned for,” Eastman added.
Southwick is the first of two new Little Waitrose stores set to open before the end of summer, with the second located at St Andrews in Bristol. Waitrose is set to reveal more locations later in the year and also intends to overhaul 20 of its existing supermarket sites.
They follow the opening of a brand-new store in Hampton Hill in November last year, which is the first of a planned 100 new convenience stores by the end of 2029.
Speaking about the planned rollout at this year’s Food and Drink Expo in Birmingham, Waitrose retail director Tina Mitchell was confident that despite its struggles in the past, Waitrose could surpass the 100-store target over time.
“It’s quality over quantity – we are taking our time to find the right locations that resonate with our customers,” she said.
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