Waitrose has opened its first new convenience shop in six years as it kicks off plans to grow its estate and builds on partnerships with Welcome Break and Shell.

The new store in Hampton Hill, south west London, marks the upmarket retailer’s 47th Waitrose-operated convenience shop. It is also the first of its c-stores to feature a hatch, allowing delivery riders to make collections more easily and advancing partnerships with Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat.

The grocer plans to open more smaller 3,000 sq ft sites, like the Hampton Hill store, but is also looking at opportunities for larger convenience stores around double that size too.

The move, which is part of Waitrose’s pledge to invest £1bn in 100 new convenience stores over the next five years, comes alongside the supermarket  ramping up its partnerships with Welcome Break and Shell.

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Waitrose is to target further new locations under its franchise with Welcome Break, with stores opening on the A14 in Spaldwick, Cambridgeshire this month and on the M1 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire as part of the operator’s new motorway services in January. A third location will open in 2025, with more planned if successful.

While the retailer has partnered with Welcome Break since 2009 and currently trades Little Waitrose from 27 of its motorway service areas, the new stores will be the first it has opened with the operator in eleven years.

Welcome Break commercial director Adrian Grimes said: “Customers will now be able to stop off on their journey and select from a great range of quality Waitrose products. Our partnership has been incredibly prosperous and we look forward to opening more Little Waitrose stores in the coming years across the Welcome Break network.”

Additionally, Waitrose has now reached more than 100 Shell forecourt shops it supplies throughout the UK, with plans to add further new locations in 2025.

Waitrose executive director James Bailey said: “The long associated stereotypes of food at forecourts and service stations are becoming a thing of the past – expectation has moved on and customers are rightfully demanding more.

“They want great tasting, quality food no matter where they are. Through new store openings and strategic partnerships we will continue to evolve our shops to get better and better, whilst reaching new locations that help bring Waitrose great quality, service and value closer to more customers.”