Waitrose food hall in Aberdeen Dobbies to close within weeks
Dobbies said it has "listened to customers" and wants to repurpose the space.
The Waitrose food hall within Dobbies Garden Centre in Aberdeen is to close.
The food hall opened at the Lang Stracht store in June 2023 in a space previously occupied by Sainsbury’s.
John Lewis, which owns Waitrose, has confirmed the partnership to supply Dobbies has come to an end.
The food hall, which stocks around 2,000 products, will close within weeks.
Customers have been told that stocks will be run down in the coming weeks before the closure.
Dobbies said it is not intending to bring another food supplier into the Granite City shop.
Instead it will repurpose the space for “a new concept that brings together treats and seasonal variety”.
End of Waitrose in Aberdeen
Aberdeen was seen for years as a likely target for a new Waitrose as shops opened around the country.
The food hall opening marked the end of years of waiting and speculation.
At the time executive director James Bailey said the arrangement would allow it to “bring Waitrose food and drink to even more people throughout in the UK”.
John Lewis said the arrangement had been ended by “mutual agreement”.
A spokesperson said: “After careful consideration, and in mutual agreement with Dobbies, we’ve decided to end our supply arrangement and focus on other ways of reaching our customers.
“We wish Dobbies and all their team well in the future and are grateful for their work on our partnership to date.”
Dobbies plans for Aberdeen after Waitrose exit
Dobbies said it will share more details about its plans for the area in its Aberdeen shop in the coming weeks.
A spokesperson said: “By listening to our customers, we’ve identified several ways to improve the range and shopping experience in our food halls.
“We’ve trialled a new concept that brings together treats and seasonal variety, inviting customers to discover and enjoy good food.
“We are now in the process of rolling this out to our stores, with our new food halls opening from the end of January and over the course of February.
“As part of these changes, together with Waitrose, we’ve agreed that our partnership will come to a close. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved over the past three years, giving our customers easy access to a great selection of everyday products.
“We’ll share more details of our new food hall in the coming weeks.”
Waitrose entered a partnership to supply 50 Dobbies in 2022, with the Aberdeen shop opening the following year.
Dobbies announced a significant restructure towards the end of 2024, with plans to close 17 unprofitable stores.
[Source: Press and Journal]
