News 
Waitrose plan for new store in Milngavie
8 March 2012
Waitrose – food shops of the John Lewis Partnership – today [08.03.2012] announced plans for a new store in Milngavie.
The planned new store would be the retailer’s seventh in Scotland and will create around 180 new jobs with the John Lewis Partnership.
An extensive programme of community consultation is now being planned, including a public exhibition where Waitrose will gather people’s views to help shape the final proposals.
Waitrose is working closely on its proposal with West of Scotland Football Club and the developers Town Centre Securities (TCS).
If successful, the proposal would see a new Waitrose store built during 2013 on the club’s existing second (roadside) pitch alongside Glasgow Road.
The deal will provide WSFC with sufficient funding to help secure its future, as well as providing first-class training facilities for players, with a new all-weather pitch to be constructed on the scrub land behind the current score board.
The planned new Waitrose store, which it is hoped would open in late 2013, will
· be a high-quality food store, complementing the existing retail offer of Milngavie town centre
· feature a sales area of 25,000 sq feet (36,500 sq feet gross) and around 225 car parking spaces
· offer products from local and regional suppliers and producers
· match prices against Tesco each week, on 1000 everyday branded items bought most often by shoppers, as part of the Brand Price match commitment
The new store is also expected to create around 180 secure, long-term jobs. As Waitrose is part of the John Lewis Partnership, all employees will become Partners – co-owners of the business – and as such will be entitled to the unique benefits of employee ownership.
Speaking on behalf of WSFC, John Cameron, the Club’s President said:
“We’ve negotiated with several businesses over the past ten years, to capitalise part of our property assets and secure the new financial investment that the club needs to survive and prosper.
“We are now very pleased that our discussions with Town Centre Securities have produced an exciting proposal for a new Waitrose store, which we hope will be welcomed by local people and especially by our members, as providing a much-needed lifeline for the club in the medium term.”
Martin Gorman of Waitrose said:
“This exciting proposal comes hot on the heels of planning approvals for two other new stores in Stirling and Helensburgh, both of which are due to open in early 2013.
“It is a further demonstration of our ambition to make the Waitrose brand more accessible to Scottish consumers.
“We look forward to working with the Council, local traders in the town centre and the local community to develop this proposal.”
The planned new Waitrose in Milngavie would be the retailer’s seventh branch in Scotland.
Details of how Waitrose plans to consult with the community will be announced within the next few weeks.
