Waitrose to open first major supermarket in seven years
Waitrose is preparing to open its first new major supermarket in seven years as part of owner John Lewis's renewed focus on retail.
The 30,000 sq ft store in Brabazon, a new town being built on the former Filton Airfield in North Bristol, is expected to open in 2027 and will create about 150 new jobs.
The supermarket is a major commercial tie-up with the new town, which will be based on the site where Britain's Concorde aircraft were once built.
As well as being a launchpad for the regeneration project, the multimillion-pound store reflects Waitrose's ambitious investment plans.
The supermarket has set aside £1bn for opening new stores and improving another 150 sites over the next three years, as Jason Tarry, the new John Lewis chairman, spearheads a strategy that is 'relentlessly focused' on retail.
The former Tesco UK chief executive replaced Dame Sharon White as chairman of the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) last year.
Mr Tarry is seeking to put the retailer back on track after suffering years of successive losses under Dame Sharon. This includes scaling back targets around rental housing and finance, and battling to reinstate the staff bonus.
Key to his turnaround is improving Waitrose after the business was overtaken by M&S for the first time last year, according to industry data from Kantar.
The supermarket has said it will revamp 20 stores this year, double its normal rate, while it has also announced plans to launch new convenience stores in Bristol, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
James Bailey, managing director for Waitrose, said: 'We are moving up a gear in store investment as we open in new locations and modernise our existing estate to bring the quality, service and value that customers love about Waitrose closer to more people.
'Brabazon is one of the most exciting new city districts in the UK, driving the growth of one of the UK's most vibrant and successful regional economies.'
Seb Loyn, of YTL Developments, the business behind the regeneration project, added: 'The arrival of Waitrose in 2027 is not only great news for the thriving community of new residents at Brabazon: it shows that this new city district is now firmly established as one of the most attractive destinations for both homebuyers and commercial investment in the South West.'
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