Waitrose has opened its first ‘Home of Food Lovers’ concept store as part of its drive to elevate and differentiate its offer in order to stand out from its rivals.
The 27,000 sq. ft. supermarket in Newbury has been selected as a testing ground for several new initiatives and forms part of the grocer’s £1bn investment programme to enhance its existing 317 sites and open new ones. Waitrose noted that once tested with customers, new concepts will be introduced to other shops and become part of the blueprint for new outlets.
The revamped Newbury store features a five-metre Cheese Island, a first for the retailer’s estate, showcasing a curated selection of nearly 100 speciality cheeses. There are also expanded and modernised counters offering a new ‘Meal Maker’ service, where fishmongers and butchers prepare cuts with free rubs and marinades. The area also includes a new Dry-Aged beef counter.
An expanded in-store bakery features a new partnership with premium brand Ole & Steen, which will be rolled out to 35 stores, while the overhauled fruit and veg department focuses on organic, Fairtrade, and regeneratively-farmed produce.
The Newbury store also features 10 new brand partnerships with artisan producers, including Tap Social, Agua De Madre, and The Good Crisp Company.
A new ‘Food Lovers Hub’ offers recipe inspiration, with all ingredients and wine pairings grouped together.
Meanwhile, the delicatessen counter provides a personalised grazing box service and a ‘Fine & Rare’ wine section includes a blast wine chiller that cools bottles to the perfect temperature in minutes.
The supermarket is powered by new technology, including electronic shelf labels (ESLs), cash automation technology, and shelf-edge cameras that help identify stock gaps.
Meanwhile, staff at the Newbury store will be the first to trial a ‘first-to-market’ AI app created by Waitrose, which will provide them with up-to-date product information, enabling them to offer customers a better service.
Responding to either text or voice requests, the app will give shop floor staff answers on product availability and location, nutrition and sustainability, also cooking and recipe recommendations.
“Today is a significant move forward in our strategy to be the undisputed Home of Food Lovers,” said Tina Mitchell, Interim Managing Director for Waitrose.
“We’re deliberately investing in the joy of food – in expert cheesemongers, butchers, and fishmongers, as well as our cafés and bakeries – a strategic choice that champions the in-store experience for our customers.
This vision is backed by our largest-ever tech investment, using AI and new systems to ensure a seamless customer experience, one that has our Partners and their passion for food right at its heart.”
NamNews Implications:
- Waitrose’s best ideas on show in a single outlet.
- Hopefully, rivals’ and suppliers’ store checkers will not outnumber shoppers…
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