Waitrose to Open Full-Line Supermarket in North Bristol: £4 Billion Investment Plan in UK Up to 2030s
British grocery retailer Waitrose is set to build a new full-line supermarket at Brabazon, in the north of the city of Bristol, which is expected to open in 2027. This development is part of the £4 billion ($5.3 billion) investment plan for YTL Corporation developments in the UK up to the 2030s.
The 30,000ft² store, the first such supermarket in seven years, will create 150 new jobs. It will be situated on the A38 Gloucester Road, serving as the gateway to Brabazon and located just 500 meters from a new train station expected to open in 2026. The retailer will occupy the ground floor of a seven-storey office building designed by AHR architects and will have a multi-storey car park with 1,500 spaces.
Waitrose is expanding its presence across the UK, with new outlets including a convenience store in The Arches, Bristol, and franchise expansions with Welcome Break in Spaldwick, Cambridgeshire and Rotherham. Two more stores will open at Welcome Break service areas in Hickling, Leicestershire, and Newark, Nottinghamshire, in summer 2025.
In addition to these new stores, more than 20 Waitrose stores will be refurbished in 2025, nearly doubling the previous year's number. These refurbs are part of a broader strategy to invest £1 billion over three years in new stores and enhancements to 150 existing locations, affecting almost half of the retailer's estate.
Brabazon, built on the historic Filton Airfield, is being developed by YTL Developments into a new urban district. Waitrose managing director James Bailey stated: "We are moving up a gear in store investment as we open in new locations and modernize our existing estate to bring the quality, service and value that customers love about Waitrose closer to more people."
In March 2025, Waitrose introduced a £500,000 fund to help its network of British farmers reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The new supermarket at Brabazon will be a significant addition to Waitrose's growing presence in the UK and will provide a convenient shopping experience for customers in the area.
