Waitrose has opened its first purpose-built “market town” format branch in Buckingham.
Managing director Mark Price commented on his blog: “The branch looked fantastic and feedback from customers was incredibly positive.
“The reception we got in Buckingham gives us great confidence that we’re in a good position to roll out new Waitrose shops into towns and villages we previously thought might not have suitable sites.”
The first of the smaller-format stores opened in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, in May, in a branch acquired from a rival supermarket operator.
Next in line is the town of Brackley, Northamptonshire.
The format could be rolled out to more than 100 locations eventually.
