Waitrose to open first full-line store in seven years
Waitrose will open a full-line store for the first time in seven years in Brabazon, a new town in North Bristol.
The supermarket retailer’s 30,000 sq ft store is expected to open in 2027 and marks the first major commercial partnership announced at Brabazon.
The store will be located on the A38 Gloucester Road at the gateway to Brabazon, 500m from a new train station which is expected to open in 2026. It will occupy the ground floor of a seven-storey office building and will be served by an adjacent multi-storey car park with space for over 1,500 vehicles.
The Brabazon neighbourhood is being constructed on the historic former Filton Airfield, where every UK Concorde was built. YTL Developments is now developing a new urban community, with hundreds of new homes already completed and occupied.
Waitrose is looking to broaden its reach across the UK with this latest agreement, as well as the upcoming launch of a new convenience store in The Arches, Bristol, along with recent expansions through franchised stores with Welcome Break in Spaldwick, Cambridgeshire and Rotherham, and a convenience store in Southwick, West Sussex. Later this summer two more Waitrose stores are set to open at Welcome Break road service areas in Hickling, Leicestershire and Newark, Nottinghamshire.
As well as new openings, the retailer is planning to refurbish over 20 stores this year. These form part of plans to inject £1bn over the next three years into new stores and complete improvements at 150 existing shops, almost half of Waitrose’s estate.
James Bailey, managing director at 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. Partnering with YTL Developments at Brabazon underlines our ambition and the opportunity we believe we have to grow our reach.”