# Waitrose Opens Cricklewood Store as Part of £1 billion Investment Plan

> Waitrose opened its first new supermarket in eight years in Cricklewood, north London, as part of a £1 billion investment plan that also includes a Hale Barns store.

- Published: 2026-10-22T04:37:28+00:00
- Section: Expansion
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-22/waitrose-cricklewood-supermarket-opening
- Source: [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/22/waitrose-new-supermarket-london-cricklewood-hale-barns-greater-manchester)

## Key takeaways

- Waitrose opened its first new supermarket in eight years in Cricklewood, north London, as part of a £1 billion investment plan.
- The chain plans another supermarket in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, next month and four smaller stores next year.
- Waitrose sales rose 4% in the six months to 1 August, but underlying operating profit fell £7m to £103m.

[Waitrose](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0003fn2/waitrose) opened its first new supermarket in eight years in Cricklewood, north London, on October 22, as part of a £1 billion investment plan. [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/22/waitrose-new-supermarket-london-cricklewood-hale-barns-greater-manchester) reported that the upmarket grocer will open another supermarket in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, next month. Waitrose is a UK premium supermarket chain and the food retail division of the employee-owned John Lewis Partnership, operating more than 350 stores.

## Waitrose's Cricklewood Opening and Store Pipeline

The Cricklewood store is the first new Waitrose supermarket in eight years. The chain also plans four smaller stores next year, including a supermarket in Oakham, Rutland, and three convenience stores in Bedminster (Bristol), Chalk Farm (London) and Springstead Village (Cambridge). In 2024, Waitrose said it planned to open up to four large supermarkets and 100 convenience stores over five years, and would refurbish a number of outlets with meat, fish and sushi counters, on-site bakeries and fine wine sections. This year the company, led since January by the former Tesco executive Tom Denyard, also plans to refurbish 29 stores. Tina Mitchell, the retail director at Waitrose, said: “Our supermarkets provide the ultimate showcase for everything that sets Waitrose apart – from our unmatched quality and industry-leading welfare standards to the expert service of our partners.”

## Waitrose's Sales and Profit Figures

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Waitrose revenue for the year to January 2026 was £8.5 billion, up 7% year-on-year, with record on-shelf availability. The same records show a multi-year £1 billion+ investment programme including refrigeration upgrades in more than 100 stores, new store openings, store refurbishments and technology deployment. Sales at Waitrose rose 4% in the six months to 1 August. However, its underlying operating profit slid by £7m to £103m as it invested in keeping prices down and improving its loyalty scheme. Waitrose's parent company, the John Lewis Partnership, reported a £98m pre-tax loss in the half-year to 1 August.

## Waitrose's Recent Store and Product Moves

Waitrose Goldsworth Park near Woking reopened on October 16 after a multimillion-pound transformation, adding a sushi counter, expanded bakery and a dry-aged beef cabinet, EIN Presswire reported. Arnott's Tim Tam Mint launched at Waitrose & Partners in the UK at £2.50, positioned as a festive treat for the Christmas season, EIN Presswire reported. Waitrose is adding 80 new lines to its No.1 premium own-brand range, bringing it to over 840 lines, with No.1 sales growing 16.7% over the past year, Thegrocer reported.

## Waitrose's Union Recognition Deal

On October 21, the John Lewis Partnership announced it had signed its first company-wide union recognition deal. The collective agreement with [Usdaw](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0039vaw/usdaw-union), the shopworkers' union, comes ahead of new rights of union access in workplaces that come into force at the end of this month. Joanne Thomas, the general secretary of Usdaw, said: “Usdaw already has members working within the business and this agreement will strengthen that presence and help us in supporting and representing members across the partnership.”

## Companies in this story

- [Waitrose company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0003fn2/waitrose) · website: http://www.waitrose.com
- [The John Lewis Partnership company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0004tqb/the-john-lewis-partnership) · website: http://johnlewispartnership.co.uk
- [Usdaw Union company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0039vaw/usdaw-union) · website: http://www.usdaw.org.uk

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