Kidderminster - closed branch

Kidderminster entance1969
John Lewis Partnership archives
Kidderminster wines department 1969
John Lewis Partnership archives

Waitrose Kidderminster (Branch 132) opened as its twenty-ninth branch on Tuesday 11th November 1969. Employing 88 full-time staff, it covered 9,400 square feet and was situated in a newly built shopping precinct.

Kidderminster was the first branch to have a multi-storey car park at the rear of the shop and the first to have a semi-self service wine department (wines and beers could be selected by the customer and taken to the counter).

The branch manager, Mr A J O’Sullivan, said that opening went without a hitch, although the preceding weeks had seen a few problems: Certain parts of the building had flooded due to heavy rain, a shelf collapsed and there was a little difficulty in recruiting staff from the local area.

‘Most of the produce on sale is the same as in other branches although shoppers in the Midlands seem to have a preference for certain cuts of bacon. It is also expected that because of local taste English cheeses and meat pies will sell at a faster rate than is usual.’

The branch closed in July 2005, timed to coincide with the opening of a much larger Waitrose in nearby Droitwich, to which half of the 75 current Partners transferred. Branch Manager, Caroline Dawson, said that a lot of customers had come in to say goodbye but were very much looking forward to shopping at Droitwich. Mrs Dawson described Kidderminster Partners as a “fantastic family team”  “They are a great bunch of Partners who have taken a huge amount of pride in offering the very best service to customers.”

Comments about this page

  • What about a new Waitrose in Kidderminster?

    By Andrew Napier (28/10/2020)
  • Yes I remember shopping with my son Adrian at Waitrose Kidderminster in the  1970’s usually on a Friday afternoon.

    We lived in West Hagley in those days all good memories.

    By Sara Haes (24/12/2015)
  • I was brought up shopping at Waitrose, having literally grown up with the shop in Kidderminster.  I still shop in Waitrose, having moved “South”.  My mother was heart broken when the shop closed, with Droitwich being too far for her to travel.  Still can’t believe it has gone!

    By Andrew Napier (04/06/2015)
  • I was brought up shopping at Waitrose, having literally grown up with the shop in Kidderminster.  I still shop in Waitrose, having moved “South”.  My mother was heart broken when the shop closed, with Droitwich being too far for her to travel.  Still can’t believe it has gone!!!!

    By Andrew Napier (04/06/2015)
  • I discovered this article with a little sadness, having worked there from 1975-1980. I remember my time there with fondness, I worked with some good people.

    By Martin Pratchett (08/12/2014)

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