Waitrose has launched plans to invest £1bn in its stores, with 100 new shops set to open in the next three years.

The opening of these stores will be the first for the supermarket in six years.

Along with the opening of 100 new stores over the next three years, Waitrose added that it will look to make improvements to 150 existing shops, which is almost half of its estate.

The transformation of its Finchley Road store, which saw upgraded service counters, a greater wine selection and a more dedicated space for on-demand grocery orders, along with the revamp of its Sudbury, Suffolk, and Maidenhead, are set to start the next "evolution" of its shop proposition.

Under the new plans, a new store in Hampton Hill, which will open later this year, subject to planning approval. A second London store is set to open early in the new year.

The supermarket chain said this is set to trigger "one of the biggest" periods of its expansion as it looks to reach more customers, having served a record 15 million last year.

Executive director at Waitrose, James Bailey, said: "The transformation of our Finchley Road store marks the next evolution of our journey to create a great shopping experience for our customers, underpinned by a high-quality product offering tailored to the local area, and the quality service we are synonymous with.

"In designing the store, we have taken time to understand how our customers like to shop, and used this knowledge to introduce new concepts that will be tested and rolled out nationally as we continue to work towards the Waitrose of the future."

Chief executive of the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, Nish Kankiwala, added: "Our investment in our Waitrose store portfolio is already yielding strong results, with customers responding positively. As our retail driven plan continues to gain traction, our growing number of shoppers and increasing customer satisfaction scores are clear indicators of its success.

"This is a result of our unrelenting focus on improving the customer experience of our retail businesses, taking the love that exists for both brands and making sure customers are rewarded with better shops, the highest quality products, and the best service."

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