The Waitrose group continues to strengthen its retail network in the UK with a new investment in proximity and travel services, part of a broader £1 billion multi-year plan. The retailer has announced the opening of a "Little Waitrose" store in Ascot, scheduled for autumn 2026, which will create 20 new jobs locally.
The store, with a retail space of approximately 3.000 square feet, will be located on the town's High Street, in a central and easily accessible location, on a site formerly occupied by a bank. The goal is to meet both local demand and the flow of visitors generated by horse racing events, offering a premium selection and quality-focused service. The move represents a further step in the strategy of developing convenience formats, increasingly considered essential for serving urban areas and high-traffic catchment areas. According to management, the Ascot presence will consolidate the brand's positioning within a dynamic community, while also strengthening the brand's recognition.
At the same time, Waitrose is expanding its partnership with Welcome Break, which has been in place since 2009, by opening four new franchised stores at motorway service stations. Two stores are already operational—on the A1 near Peterborough and on the A30 near Bodmin—bringing the total number of shared locations nationwide to 33. Further openings are planned in the coming months at Spalding, Barrier Bank, and Warrington Crossroads, strengthening the brand's presence along major thoroughfares and appealing to a customer base on the go, increasingly oriented towards quality solutions even when away from home.
The growth plan is part of a broader investment effort across the entire physical network. In the last month alone, the chain has allocated significant resources to renovate seven stores, including supermarkets and convenience stores, with improvements to the fresh produce departments, bakeries, and interior layouts. A total of 30 stores are involved in the renovation program scheduled for 2026, with the goal of improving the shopping experience and upgrading the brand's quality standards nationwide.
On the real estate front, Waitrose has also acquired a new retail space in Chelmsford, set to open within the year, while looking to the medium term with a 30.000-square-foot full-line supermarket in Bristol, scheduled for completion in 2028 and capable of creating approximately 150 jobs. On the logistics front, a new 360.000-square-foot distribution center is also underway in the Bristol area, which will come online next year and will serve approximately 50 existing stores, with room for future expansion.
