Waitrose to add 300 outlets

       The upmarket British grocer Waitrose is planning a big expansion into convenience stores which could eventually see the fast-growing chain add another 300 outlets, more than doubling its current number of stores.
       The move is a direct challenge to Marks & Spencer's Simply Food convenience chain and will also increase competition for big supermarket groups like Tesco,J Sainsbury and Wm Morrison, all of which are rapidly expanding into smaller store formats.
       Waitrose, part of the employee-owned John Lewis Partnership, said yesterday that 6.5 million potential customers were currently unable to easily access one of its stores.
       To reach them, it plans to expand in part via partnerships.
       The chain, which currently has 215 branches, will extend two trial outlets at motorway service stations owned by Welcome Break to a further nine sites.
       It is also in talks with health and beauty retailer Boots over a trial to sell a small number of product ranges in each other's stores.
       In addition, Waitrose, which has been opening smaller stores of about 5,000 to 7,000 square feet in size, plans to trial convenience shops of 2,000 to 4.000 square feet next year.
       "This move gives Waitrose an overall potential for 300 convenience branches,"it said in a statement.