The first store, located airside on the upper level, is scheduled to open in May and will operate daily from 5am to 10pm, according to multiple reports. The partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail and Relay will see four stores in Terminal 2 launch by the end of the year, including two additional airside locations and one landside store.
The stores will focus on food-to-go options such as sandwiches, wraps, salads, sushi, and snack pots. Items from Waitrose's premium No. 1 range will be available, alongside fresh fruit, granolas, smoothies, and baked goods.
Launching at Heathrow marks our first move into airport retail and an important step in growing our brand by bringing our offer to more customers in high-traffic locations.
Charlotte Di Cello, Waitrose Chief Commercial Officer, said: "Launching at Heathrow marks our first move into airport retail and an important step in growing our brand by bringing our offer to more customers in high-traffic locations." Nicholas Dunne, Commercial Director of Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland, added: "This partnership with Waitrose marks a significant step in our ambition to elevate the food-to-go experience within our blended Travel Essentials offer."
Heathrow Terminal 2 serves approximately 20 million passengers annually. The airport has the highest average Google rating of any airport worldwide at 4.28 and nearly 900,000 Instagram posts. Heathrow scored 99.16 on a 'Travel Foodie Score' based on Instagram, Google, TripAdvisor, and Yelp data, with Tokyo Haneda scoring 88.24 to place second. Japan has four airports in the top 10 of the index.
In partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail and Relay, our food-to-go offer will launch in four stores in Terminal 2 by the end of the year, building on the progress we're already making in travel retail, alongside continued investment in our own shops and online offer.
This partnership with Waitrose marks a significant step in our ambition to elevate the food-to-go experience within our blended Travel Essentials offer.
By bringing one of the UK's most trusted premium food brands to Relay at Heathrow Terminal 2, we are combining quality, convenience and strong brand recognition to better serve passengers in a fast-paced environment.
The partnership demonstrates our ability to leverage our cross-business line expertise and partner with leading High Street brands to adapt their offer to the specific needs of travellers.