Supermarket looks to open up to 300 convenience stores as its food range is introduced into Boots stores

Waitrose plans to double its number of stores, expanding in the convenience market, it revealed yesterday.

It is to introduce its food range into Boots stores as part of the plan as well as explore the potential to open up to 300 convenience stores.

Waitrose also plans to roll out its motorway service station partnership with Welcome Break to a further nine locations.

Mark Price, managing director of Waitrose, said: “It's a huge development for us and will take us to parts of the country we were hitherto unable to access.”

Waitrose is the latest supermarket to move into the burgeoning convenience market. The Co-operative Group controls about 25% of the market following its acquisition of Somerfield.

The announcement comes as the head of property at Sainsbury's told Building he aims to extend the acceleration of the store's £1.6bn expansion plan beyond 2011 for another two years at least.

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