Waitrose is set to open its first supermarket in eight years on Thursday ahead of four additional openings across England in 2027.

The store in Cricklewood, North London , comes as part of a £1 billion investment plan, as reported by The Guardian .

A further supermarket in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester , is set to open its doors in November, while plans are also in place for store openings in Oakham, Bedminster , Chalk Farm and Springstead Village next year.

Waitrose plans to open more shops across supermarket, neighbourhood and convenience formats, choosing the right size and type of store for each location, a spokesperson for the company said.

It comes after the chain said in April it planned to refurbish 30 stores across the UK this year, with supermarkets receiving upgrades such as “modernised meat and fish counters and redesigned bakeries”.

Alun Jones, Head of Waitrose Physical Estate, said at the time: “We’re investing to make it even easier for food lovers to discover the best quality products…