International Report: U.K. Grocer Expanding C-store Business
UNITED KINGDOM -- Waitrose, described as the premium grocer in the United Kingdom, is building on its successful foray into the convenience business.
The chain, which grew sales by 11 percent last year to £4.5 billion, opened its first convenience store in Nottingham, England, in 2008. It opened five additional units last year. In March of 2010, Waitrose opened a c-store in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, and it plans to open another this summer in Cheam, Surrey. All these stores are larger convenience outlets ranging from 5,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet in size, according to Insight Global Convenience Store Focus.
A smaller, 3,000-square-foot convenience store is also in the works, but its location is still under wraps, according to Focus.
The grocer is also partnering with leading drug chain, Boots, to sell Waitrose brand products in Boots' stores, is establishing partnerships with Welcome Break and Shell at motorway services and forecourts and planning new franchised stores in the Middle East.
For more on Waitrose's plans, go to click here.
Insight Research's international convenience event, held in association with NACS in London, will be held Sept. 20-24, 2010. The event offers delegates an interactive program featuring cutting-edge European convenience concepts and international executive expertise.
Now in its 12th year, the event was attended by retailers and supplier delegates from 20 countries in 2009.
The four-day program comprises store tours, presentations, case studies, panel discussions plus numerous networking opportunities.
For the second year running, the event will include the International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award dinner and a Champagne reception on the London Eye.
The event also provides opportunities for more in-depth discussions with leading European convenience and petroleum retail operations through Insight's new peer review process.
View more information on Insight Research's international convenience event.
The chain, which grew sales by 11 percent last year to £4.5 billion, opened its first convenience store in Nottingham, England, in 2008. It opened five additional units last year. In March of 2010, Waitrose opened a c-store in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, and it plans to open another this summer in Cheam, Surrey. All these stores are larger convenience outlets ranging from 5,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet in size, according to Insight Global Convenience Store Focus.
A smaller, 3,000-square-foot convenience store is also in the works, but its location is still under wraps, according to Focus.
The grocer is also partnering with leading drug chain, Boots, to sell Waitrose brand products in Boots' stores, is establishing partnerships with Welcome Break and Shell at motorway services and forecourts and planning new franchised stores in the Middle East.
For more on Waitrose's plans, go to click here.
Insight Research's international convenience event, held in association with NACS in London, will be held Sept. 20-24, 2010. The event offers delegates an interactive program featuring cutting-edge European convenience concepts and international executive expertise.
Now in its 12th year, the event was attended by retailers and supplier delegates from 20 countries in 2009.
The four-day program comprises store tours, presentations, case studies, panel discussions plus numerous networking opportunities.
For the second year running, the event will include the International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award dinner and a Champagne reception on the London Eye.
The event also provides opportunities for more in-depth discussions with leading European convenience and petroleum retail operations through Insight's new peer review process.
View more information on Insight Research's international convenience event.