Waitrose Jesmond Reopens After Multi-Million-Pound Refurbishment

One of Jesmond's busiest food shops is back. Waitrose Jesmond reopened at 8am on Wednesday 12 August after five weeks closed for a multi-million-pound refurbishment, and the first customers through the doors were handed a complimentary tote bag on their way in.

The revamp lands as the branch marks its 15th anniversary in the neighbourhood, and it forms part of Waitrose's wider £1bn investment programme across its stores.

What's changed inside

The most visible change is a new-look bakery, but the work runs right through the shop. The beer, wine and spirits department has been upgraded, and the fruit and vegetable offer has been improved. The layout has also been redesigned to make the store easier to move around, whether you are in for a full weekly shop or just grabbing fresh produce and something for tonight.

There are less obvious changes too. New refrigeration has been fitted to improve energy efficiency, and electronic shelf labels have replaced printed price tickets, which the store says frees up staff time for helping customers rather than swapping paper labels.

Deliveries and collection

For anyone who does not always make it to Acorn Road in person, grocery home delivery from the Jesmond branch is available through Uber Eats and Deliveroo. The store also acts as a collection point for John Lewis, Waitrose Entertaining and Waitrose Cellar orders, which is handy in the run-up to Christmas and party season.

A thank-you to Jesmond

The store is run by branch manager Anji Hewat, who leads a team of 50 Partners. Marking the reopening and the anniversary, she said:

"As we celebrate 15 years in Jesmond this year, this multi-million pound investment is a huge thank you to our local community for their continued loyalty."

The reopening was reported by Grocery Gazette.

Best for:

The refreshed store sits alongside Jesmond's independents. If you are stocking up, it is worth pairing a trip with the neighbourhood's best bakeries and butchers.

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