Waitrose has started rolling out design elements of its new store format after a strong performance from its two debut shops.

A source close to Waitrose said that the roll out of the new point-of-sale design had begun this year to an unconfirmed number of stores. He added that harder elements, including lighting and finishings, as well as counters for its bakery and fish sections would be added later.

Senior management are reviewing how many of Waitrose’s 187 stores will receive the design elements.

Last year, Waitrose opened its first new-format store on London’s Marylebone High Street, which was followed by an extension to its existing branch on Finchley Road, north London.

The source said that trading at its Marylebone store was “on budget and in line with expectations” and that like-for-likes were up 10 per cent for the week to February 23.

Sales at its Finchley Road store are 3 per cent ahead of plan and like-for-likes are up 23 per cent for the same weekly period. The extension to the store added about 10,000 sq ft.

This year, Waitrose plans to open eight shops, of which five sites are confirmed: Crewkerne in Somerset, Cardiff, Eldon Square shopping centre in Newcastle, White City in London and Kenilworth in Warwickshire, as well as an extension in Welwyn Garden City.

The 27,000 sq ft White City store, which is slated to open before the end of October and is part of the Westfield development, will get the new look.

For the week to February 16, Waitrose posted total sales up 7.5 per cent on last year.

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