Waitrose extends ‘Unpacked’ test

Waitrose is to extend its “Unpacked” test in Oxford beyond the original end date of 18 August and will introduce elements of the concept into three more shops by the end of the year.

The trial at the Botley Road shop involves taking more than 200 products out of their packaging. The plan is to extend it to stores in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Wallingford, which are all being refurbished.

All three shops will have a dedicated refillable zone. This will include dispensers for dried products, frozen ‘pick and mix’, coffee, wine and beer refills, as well as Ecover detergent and washing up liquid refillables.

There will still be a wide range of Unpacked fruit and veg, although it will need to change to reflect the season and where the produce comes from.

It said the Oxford test is already helping it to understand what works for its customers. “The Veg Kitchen was not as popular as some of the other concepts, and shoppers preferred to bring their own containers rather than borrow-a-box. Both concepts will therefore be removed from Botley Road by the end of August and will not feature in the three additional shops.”