It’s been a tumultuous year for the British high street. Just this week Poundland has announced dozens of closures, while everyone from New Look and Iceland to Homebase is being forced to closure stores.
Despite this depressing set of affairs, Waitrose has some good news: the company is opening up its first full sized supermarket in seven years, a 30,000 square foot store in north Bristol. Waitrose has opened convenience stores throughout the years, but it’s been nearly a decade since the company had a big, brand new supermarket to celebrate.
The store will be in Patchway, near Cribbs Causeway in a new development called Brabazon. This will become Bristol’s third Waitrose, joining the new local store on Gloucester Road, and the one on Queen’s Road which is currently undergoing a massive renovation. Basically, it’s an exciting time to be a Bristol-based Waitrose lover.
The store will be part of a ‘new town’ which is under construction on a former air field. It will also feature a new train station, which is currently being built and is due to open next year – this station will be next to the supermarket to make getting your groceries home easier.
On top of that it will have 6,500 homes, schools, a huge urban park, and even a 19,000 seat arena. All of this is in the early stages of planning, but if all goes to plan, the Waitrose superstore will open its doors in 2027 and generate 150 jobs for the new residents of Brabazon.
James Bailey, the managing director of the company, described this as the company ‘moving up a gear in store investment’, adding that; ‘Brabazon is one of the most exciting new city districts in the UK, driving the growth of one of the UK's most vibrant and successful regional economies.’
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That’s not all that’s going on in the world of UK supermarkets. You might’ve missed the 10 new stores that Aldi is opening, or the complete list of Iceland shops that are closing down soon. In fact, we’ve got information on all the high street stores that are shutting this year.
Plus: Where will the Lower Thames Crossing be, and how much will it cost? Everything you need to know.
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