Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Waitrose has become the UK’s first supermarket chain to operate a cashless store, after opening in Sky’s new head office building at its campus in Osterley, west London.
The store is the first Waitrose to open on a workplace campus in almost 20 years and, at 1,400sq ft, is the second smallest store in the retailer’s estate.
The ‘little Waitrose’ branded shop is located inside Sky Central, which will be home to more than 3,500 staff when work is fully completed this summer.
Sky employees are only able to pay by card or their mobile devices at one of the five self-service checkouts.
The retailer met with groups of Sky employees to determine what they would like to see in their new store. There is a focus on evening meals and food to go, including fresh sandwiches, wraps and sushi, as well as a selection of fresh produce and ingredients, celebration cakes, freshly cut flowers and store cupboard staples. Bread and croissants are baked each day too.
Travel accessories and mini health and beauty range are also be available for those needing to travel at late notice or choosing to take advantage of the on-site gym.
Waitrose’s only other office-based store is a 520sq ft shop at British Airways’ Waterside headquarters in Harmondsworth, near London Heathrow airport, which opened in 1998.
The grocery multiple operates 350 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 60 convenience branches, and another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations. It also exports products to 58 countries worldwide and has seven shops which operate under licence in the Middle East.
