Supermarket group Waitrose has reiterated its commitment to growing its business in Scotland.
Date:
Wed, 05 Oct 2011
Source:
Waitrose
The company has already stated that wants to expand outside its traditional southern heartland and has said there are plans to open stores in Helensburgh and Stirling.
However, a new £35 million regional distribution centre in Chorley, Lancashire, which is due to open next autumn, will have the capacity to deliver to 80 stores in the north and Scotland.
Waitrose managing director Mark Price said: "This new distribution centre will support the growth of our business, be a boost for the North West, create 600 new jobs for the region and make it possible for us to invest one billion pounds in Britain over the next three years.
"The new shops we are now planning will mean 10,000 more jobs and £1 billion of additional business going to producers, farmers and growers in the British food industry."
The 360,000sqft Chorley warehouse, 50,000sqft of office space and a vehicle maintenance unit will allow Waitrose to service up to 80 branches as part of its rapidly growing portfolio of shops in the North of England and Scotland.
Until six years ago the most northerly Waitrose store was in Newark, Nottinghamshire. Waitrose has since embarked on the biggest period of expansion in its history, including opening seven stores in the North West, seven in Yorkshire, three in the North East and four in Scotland.
Waitrose now has 264 branches open across the UK, including 23 convenience stores.
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