Waitrose store opened in Glasgow’s West End

12th November 2009

Location:  372 Byres Rd, Glasgow, G12 8AU (0141 337 3314)

Upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose has opened its first store in Glasgow.

Waitrose already has two branches in Scotland, both in Edinburgh, which were acquired from Somerfield in 2006.

Also a former Somerfield, the new Waitrose store is in the west end of Glasgow, situated on Byres Rd, next to the Hilton.

Waitrose is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership.  The company differentiates itself from competitors by offering high quality food and emphasising customer service.  In fact, in 2009 Waitrose has won the UKCSI award for the UK’s top food retailer for customer service, and the Verdict Research award for the UK’s favourite supermarket.  Waitrose also has a Royal Warrant to supply groceries, wine and spirits to HM The Queen.

Waitrose are well known for championing local and regional suppliers, and their new Glasgow branch is no different.  Several producers are exclusive to the Byres Rd supermarket such as West Brewery, the Glasgow Green-based brewery; the Handmade Meringue Company and Gigha Island Halibut.

More than 250 other Scottish lines are stocked by Waitrose Byers Road store and the buying team is always looking for other producers and suppliers from the Glasgow area, the west of Scotland and beyond.

Some companies, such as West Brewery, have never supplied supermarkets before but have agreed to supply Waitrose because they like its ethos and way of doing business.

Waitrose has also recently announced plans to build a 25,000sq ft store in Newton Mearns, the first purpose built Waitrose in Scotland.  Subject to planning permission being granted, the store is expected to open by the end of 2010, creating 200 jobs.