Waitrose Confirms Chiswick Store Closure Dates |
||||
High Road branch shutting for two months for major refurb
January 19, 2026 Waitrose has confirmed the dates for the closure of its Chiswick High Road store for refurbishment. It is to shut for nearly two months starting at 5pm next Friday, 23 January, as part of the John Lewis Partnership’s £1 billion investment in its retail estate. The store is scheduled to reopen at 8am on Thursday, 19 March. The upgrade follows similar works recently completed by Marks & Spencer on the same stretch of High Road and is timed to avoid overlap with the busy Christmas trading period. While Waitrose has not released full details of the Chiswick plans, the closure aligns with a wider strategy to modernise 150 existing stores over three years. James Bailey, Executive Director of Waitrose, said in June: “We are moving up a gear in store investment as we open in new locations and modernise our existing estate to bring quality, service and value that customers love about Waitrose closer to more people.” The refurbishment is expected to reverse some of the reductions made in previous years, which included the removal of meat and deli counters. The Chiswick store had lost its fresh service counters over the past decade, but the new investment programme at other locations included upgrades to meat and fish departments, expanded bakeries, and enhanced grocery collection areas. Recent refurbishments at other London branches, such as Finchley, have introduced chilled wine and beer zones, external hatches for Deliveroo and Uber Eats riders, and improved customer order facilities. However, unlike Marks & Spencer, Waitrosehas confirmed it will not be expanding the physical footprint of its Chiswick store.
Local property experts suggest the timing of the two refurbishments may partly be influenced by the proposed redevelopment of the nearby Sainsbury’s site at Essex Place, which could reshape the retail landscape in central Chiswick. A Waitrose spokesperson said, "Waitrose is committed to a nationwide investment plan, including an exciting refresh of our Chiswick store. During the refit, customers can continue to shop on Waitrose.com and at Waitrose East Sheen."
|