Waitrose unveils first ‘Home of Food Lovers’ concept store

Waitrose has opened its first “Home of Food Lovers” concept store in Newbury, marking a key step in the grocer’s £1bn investment programme to enhance and expand its 317-strong estate.

The 27,000 sq ft Berkshire site will act as a testing ground for new concepts designed to improve service and product quality, with successful initiatives to be rolled out across the wider network and used as a blueprint for future store openings.

The store introduces new layouts and technology aimed at improving both customer experience and staff efficiency. Waitrose is investing £50m in digital systems across its estate to support what it describes as a more “seamless” in-store journey.

The Newbury shop features several new elements focused on food expertise, including a five-metre “Cheese Island” showcasing around 100 speciality cheeses, new “Meal Maker” services at butchery and fish counters, and an expanded in-store bakery. The bakery includes a new partnership with Danish brand Ole and Steen, set to extend to 35 stores nationwide.

A refreshed fruit and vegetable department highlights organic, Fairtrade and regeneratively farmed produce. Additional staff training has been delivered across specialist areas such as bakery, wines and spirits, and fresh food counters, in partnership with organisations including the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and the Guild of Fine Food.

Customers will also find 10 new brand collaborations featuring artisan and emerging producers, a “Food Lovers Hub” with seasonal recipe pairings, and a Fine and Rare wine section with a rapid-chilling system. A new Waite and Rose café represents further investment in the grocer’s hospitality offer.

The store is also being used to pilot several digital innovations. Shelf-edge cameras to detect stock gaps are being tested alongside electronic shelf labels and automated cash systems. Staff in Newbury are the first to trial a new AI-powered app designed to provide real-time product, nutrition and sustainability information through text or voice query.

Waitrose said the opening forms part of its wider store renewal and expansion drive, which includes recent Little Waitrose openings in Bristol and Wandsworth and a new 360,000 sq ft distribution centre in Bristol. The retailer plans to open its first new full-line supermarket in seven years at Brabazon, an emerging new town near Bristol, in 2027.

Interim managing director Tina Mitchell said: “Today is a significant move forward in our strategy to be the undisputed Home of Food Lovers. 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.”