Caldicot 476: Opening

Waitrose Caldicott in South East Wales opened on the 18th June 2009. The branch attracted great interest on its opening day with customers travelling from far and wide to see how Waitrose had transformed the 13,380 sq ft premises previously operated by Somerfield.

At the time of opening the population of Caldicott was around 10,000 and the local steelworks was a major factor in the town’s prosperity alongside the opening of the second Severn crossing and the proximity of both the M48 to the North and the M4 to the South. Its position on the main line between South Wales and London also made the area popular with commuters. The Branch’s position is not far from one of Caldicot’s most impressive venues for events and festivals, the 55-acre Country Park surrounding Caldicot Castle.

The majority of the Somerfield staff transitioned into the new store as Partners and brought with them a wealth of retail experience. One of those Partners explained that opening day had felt like the whole of the Christmas period rolled into one day. She went on to explain how enjoyable it was to be working to the higher standards expected under the Waitrose model and had noticed how regular customers returning to the refurbished branch had been delighted by the new look of the store. Attracting particular comment were the fresh meat, fish and patisserie counters and a very welcome four fold increase in the size of the wine section.

The Store Manager, John Williams, reported that opening day takings were 50% more than expected and he had been touched by the eagerness and enthusiasm shown by his selling team many of who had commented that they felt valued and trusted for the first time in their retail careers.

Regional Branch Manager, Nigel Huxley has been supporting John and his team as they prepared for their opening and he paid tribute to the professionalism of so many Partners new to the business.

ADDRESS: 43 Newport Road Caldicot Monmouthshire NP26 4UX

Waitrose Caldicot closed in December 2020