This rendering shows Waitrose and Relay having equal weight on branding.
Waitrose/Lagardère
Waitrose, the upscale supermarket arm of U.K. department store operator John Lewis Partnership (JLP), will open its first airport store at London Heathrow’s Terminal 2 (The Queen’s Terminal) this coming May. The popular brand’s arrival will be in partnership with the UK & Ireland subsidiary of French global airport retailer Lagardère Travel Retail.
JLP—which operates 36 John Lewis department stores across the U.K.—had opened a flagship 36,000 square foot John Lewis store at Heathrow T2 when the terminal first opened in June 2014. However, the large unit struggled financially, possibly due to the format and lack of an appealing offer for international shoppers, and was eventually closed in mid-2020 along with seven other stores in the U.K. that were particularly impacted when the Covid pandemic hit.
This time, the airport approach is more cautious. By partnering with LTR through a wholesale arrangement, JLP’s grocery arm is accessing a partner with strong experience in the airport channel, in both food and beverage (F&B) and retail.
Waitrose products—chiefly food-to-go items including the brand’s premium No. 1 range—will initially launch in four of LTR’s Relay stores in T2 using dual fascia branding. Three of the stores will be airside (accessible to passengers only) and one landside (accessible to anyone), with all four due to open by the end of the year. Competitor M&S—another trusted U.K. supermarket favorite—already operates several stores at Heathrow and two at London Gatwick Airports, the U.K.’s two busiest gateways.
The LTR deal exposes the Waitrose name to more international customers in a high-traffic location with less risk, and supported by Lagardère’s know-how. In a statement, the supermarket said: “The move forms part of Waitrose’s strategy to grow through additional channels alongside continued investment in its own shops and online business.”
Heathrow T2 serves around 20 million arriving and departing passengers a year in one of the world’s busiest airports. The U’K.’s only hub has just been ranked second again behind Dubai International, among the world’s top international gateways. Heathrow has held onto its position despite its capacity constraints due an overloaded two-runway system. A third strip has been approved in principle and is progressing through the planning process.
Waitrose looks for distribution channel growth
On the Relay deal, Waitrose’s chief commercial officer Charlotte Di Cello, said: “Launching at Heathrow is an important step in growing our brand. In partnership with Lagardère, our food-to-go offer will build on the progress we’re already making in travel retail, alongside investment in our own shops and online offer.”
In the British market, Waitrose has been on a roll. It achieved a tenth consecutive quarter of customer growth, in FY25/26 (ending January 2026). This has pushed its share of JLP’s revenue of £13.4 billion ($18.1 billion) to 60%. In travel retail, if all goes well with Lagardère, the grocery retailer may be able to scale, initially in other British airports, and then further afield if if an international expansion strategy proves viable.
Lagardère has described the Waitrose deal “as a key component” of its blended ‘travel essentials’ and ‘food-to-go’ strategy at Heathrow, by bringing the best of the High Street to the airport. Relay is very much aiming to reinforce its position as a go-to store for core travel lines and now, with Waitrose convenience foods.
Nicholas Dunne, commercial director of Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland, commented: “This partnership marks a significant step in our ambition to elevate the food-to-go experience. It demonstrates our ability to leverage cross-business expertise and partner with leading High Street brands to adapt their offer to specific traveler needs.”
For Waitrose, the Relay entry at Heathrow offers a low‑risk test bed for its broader travel‑retail ambitions, while Lagardère strengthens its food‑to‑go credentials in a very competitive airport environment. If the partnership delivers, it could mark the start of a bigger push by the supermarket.