Key facts
- Waitrose opened its first new supermarket in eight years in Cricklewood, north London.
- The company plans to open up to four large supermarkets and 100 convenience stores over five years.
- Waitrose's parent company, John Lewis Partnership, reported a £98m pre-tax loss in the half-year to August 1.
- Waitrose sales rose 4% in the six months to August 1, but operating profit slid by £7m to £103m.
- The John Lewis Partnership signed a union recognition deal with Usdaw.
Waitrose has opened its first new supermarket in eight years in Cricklewood, north London, as part of a £1 billion investment plan. The upmarket grocer will open another store in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, next month and plans four smaller stores next year. The company aims to open up to four large supermarkets and 100 convenience stores over five years, alongside refurbishing 29 stores. Waitrose's parent company, the John Lewis Partnership, reported a £98 million pre-tax loss in the half-year to August 1, despite a 4% rise in Waitrose sales, as it invested in keeping prices down and faced higher energy costs. The partnership also announced a company-wide union recognition deal with Usdaw.