Lefties, Waitrose and Jollyes Open New Stores

Lefties opens at Lakeside

Lefties has opened its second UK store at Lakeside after launching at Liverpool ONE in August.

The new 36,000 square foot store sells clothing, footwear and accessories across its Woman, Man, Teen, Girl, Boy, Baby and Newborn ranges. It also offers home products including textiles, décor and fragrances.

The store includes assisted checkouts, smart fitting rooms with a hatch for unwanted items, a robotic hanger sorter and an automatic garment sorter. The technology is designed to make shopping quicker and support store operations.

The opening adds to Inditex’s presence at Lakeside. Bershka opened a 12,500 square foot store there last month, joining Zara, Pull & Bear and Stradivarius. Lakeside has also recently welcomed Oliver Bonas, Urban Outfitters and Hollister.

Lakeside's management said the opening marks another step in the centre’s growth and reflects strong demand from retailers, with more signings expected.

Waitrose grows in the South West

Waitrose will open in Bristol Airport through its wholesale partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail.

From summer 2027, three Relay stores at the airport, one landside and two airside, will sell Waitrose food-to-go products, including items from its No.1 range.

The retailer will also open a 3,000 square foot convenience store in Bedminster in early 2027. This adds a high street location in South Bristol.

Waitrose said the airport partnership helps it reach customers where they live, work and travel, alongside its existing stores and online service.

Its wider expansion plans remain on track. A 30,000 square foot supermarket at Brabazon is due to open in 2028 and create 150 jobs.

An Avonmouth distribution centre is also expected to open in early 2027, creating more than 550 jobs. Built with DHL Supply Chain and McLaren Construction, it will support more than 50 stores across the region. Waitrose said it will be its most sustainable distribution hub so far, with climate-controlled storage, AI forecasting and driverless warehouse vehicles.

Jollyes adds another Scottish store

Jollyes Pets will open its ninth Scottish store at Carnegie Drive Retail Park in Dunfermline on 5 November.

The 5,800 square foot site will create eight jobs and take the retailer to 130 UK stores. It has opened 13 stores since January.

Customers will be able to buy major pet food brands, specialist products, the retailer’s own ranges, raw food, treats, toys and accessories. The first 100 customers will receive goody bags.

The opening follows a new Jollyes store in Mansfield earlier this month. The retailer also plans further Scottish openings in 2027, beginning with Dundee.

What RHR thinks

We believe these openings show that retailers are still backing physical stores, but they are choosing locations more carefully than before. Retailers are opening large stores in leading shopping destinations, smaller stores in convenient locations such as travel hubs and high streets, and continuing steady retail park expansion. We expect technology such as automated sorting in stores and AI-supported distribution operations to become more common as retailers look to get more from each location. Waitrose’s plans also show that store growth and supply chain investment increasingly go hand in hand. Retailers building networks region by region are better placed to expand quickly and efficiently.

What this means for hiring. Store managers, sales assistants and retail team members are likely to be needed as Lefties, Waitrose and Jollyes open new locations. Distribution, warehouse and logistics roles will also be supported by Waitrose’s Avonmouth distribution centre and its plan to supply more than 50 stores in the South West.