Waitrose will reveal a new-look fascia when its Marylebone store in London reopens on 28 June.
Diana Hunter, head of merchandising, refused to go into detail but confirmed that a "fresher and cleaner" fascia would be among the new features at the store.
Others included a "Time of Day" foodservice counter rotating breakfast, lunch and dinner options; upgraded meat, cheese, fish and charcuterie counters; and new ranges of speciality and fresh farm foods.
The store's layout was also being refreshed to make it easier to navigate. Further concepts would be trialled at its Finchley Road store and its new John Lewis food hall on Oxford Street, with a view to rolling out the most successful to the rest of the 183-store estate.
Hunter hit back at suggestions that the refurbishments were a bid to take on Whole Foods Market or that it was taking its offer even more upmarket.
"Our consumer research pre-dates Whole Foods. What we've been doing for 18 months to two years is looking at how our customers use our stores," she said. "What we've found out is that a lot of our customers are looking for inspiration. We are not going more premium. It's about giving customers what they want."
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