Press releases
Waitrose strengthens position in London
Wednesday 18 June 2008
Waitrose, the food shops of the John Lewis Partnership, expects to recruit up to 200,000 new London shoppers after acquiring four new shops in prime locations.
The retailer has entered into agreement to purchase the stores in Chiswick, Clapham, Edgware Road and Islington from Woolworths.
Each of the shops will be converted into Waitrose food shops in a phased programme, anticipated to open for Christmas trading. Up to 700 jobs will be created for new Partners in the UK's largest and longest lasting example of employee ownership.
The property deal will add nearly 52,000sq ft of trading space to the Waitrose portfolio and builds on its ambitious expansion plans, which has seen the supermarket develop into a national brand over the last five years.
In three years Waitrose has acquired 43 branches, including the recent additions of Budgens food shops in Buckingham and London's Bayswater, as well as a Co-op in Brackley, Northamptonshire.
Commenting on the new shops, Mark Price, Managing Director of Waitrose, said:
'These acquisitions will allow us to reach up to 200,000 new shoppers in the capital and will support our ambitious growth plans. We are delighted to add these prime locations to our portfolio of shops, particularly as they are sited in our heartland areas where Londoners have been requesting Waitrose branches for many years.
'These shops will consolidate our position in London, bringing the total number of branches in the region to 44.'
Waitrose, which has 189 food shops in England, Scotland and Wales, continues to trade strongly with sales for the half year to date up by 6.1 per cent year on year and has a market share of 4 per cent of the UK Grocery Market.
Notes To Editors
The four acquired properties are located at:
- Chiswick, 356-362 High Street, London, W4 5TE – 9,000 sq ft
- Clapham, 40-44 St John’s Road, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 1PP – 11,000 sq ft
- Edgware Road, 168-176 Edgware Road, London, W2 2DX – 21,100 sq ft
- Islington, 40-42 Chapel Street, Islington, London, N1 – 10,800 sq ft.
Each of the shops acquired will continue to operate as Woolworths until completion by August.
Further Information
For more information please contact:
James Armstrong
Property & Development Communications Manager
Tel: 01344 824657
Email: james_armstrong@waitrose.co.uk
Gill Smith, Senior PR Manager
Tel: 01344 825165
Email: gill_smith@waitrose.co.uk
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