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Waitrose to Debut Airport Retail With Relay at Heathrow Terminal 2 in May

A wholesale, dual-branded pilot gives Waitrose high passenger reach with limited risk.

Overview

  • A partnership announced Monday between Waitrose and Lagardère’s Relay will bring the grocer’s food-to-go range to Heathrow Terminal 2 starting in May.
  • Four Relay outlets will carry the offer by year-end, with three airside for ticketed passengers and one landside for anyone visiting the terminal.
  • Menus will focus on quick, premium choices such as sandwiches, wraps, salads, sushi, fresh fruit and Waitrose’s No.1 range, with meal deals for travelers.
  • Waitrose will supply products on a wholesale basis under dual Relay and Waitrose branding, using Lagardère’s airport know-how to test the travel-retail channel.
  • Heathrow T2 handles about 20 million passengers a year, and after a large John Lewis store at T2 closed in 2020, this pilot offers a cautious path that Waitrose could later extend to other airports.