Waitrose is to trial its convenience store format at Shell petrol stations across the country under a new partnership between the two companies.
The Little Waitrose stores will be tested at two Shell stations in Watford and Bayswater, west London, to begin with, but if they prove a success they could be introduced at around 100 Shell garages across the country.
Mark Price, Waitrose MD, said the trial is part of a plan to get Waitrose products in front of a wider audience.
“Our research suggests there are six to seven million people who would like to shop at Waitrose but live too far away from our shops,” he said.
The forecourt tie-up between Shell and Waitrose comes after the two firms recently launched a joint marketing promotion on petrol .
Waitrose launched its convenience store format earlier this year with the opening of several small grocery stores in the UK, and plans to have more than 40 smaller-format shops up and running by the end of the year.
